


Property to Handle

by ZephyrVolashki



Category: Original Work
Genre: Abuse, Anal Sex, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Forced Prostitution, Gay, Gay Sex, Homelessness, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, India, M/M, MxM - Freeform, Oral Sex, Prostitution, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rough Sex, Sexual Abuse, Torture, Underage Sex, Violence, bxb - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:49:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 14
Words: 26,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25946134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZephyrVolashki/pseuds/ZephyrVolashki
Summary: Being born male in India wasn’t enough to save him from the violence and wrath of others. Living with not so much as a name for all his childhood until he was stolen away, he learned how to handle pain and abuse. He only gained a name, Veshya, when he was forced into prostitution, where being male came with its own challenges. Veshya quickly learned that one’s life could always get harder, and the dream of escape was impossible.
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

Not even being born a boy could save him from the wrath of his mother’s husband. In that man’s eyes, he was just a bastard rape child, undeserving of the most basic dignities a child needed. Including a name.   
In the rare chance that Ishwar spoke to him, he would be called nothing more than Ladaka, a nameless “boy” who was not allowed to speak to his three half-brothers, let alone live in the same house. His mother, Madhu, had begged Ishwar to build a shelter for him but he had refused, leaving him to sleep outside in the dirt with the sheep and goats. At night he huddled against the animals to gain any sense of warmth while he listened to the sounds of the other boys laughing and playing.  
As furious as he was in blaming Madhu for the fault of conceiving a child due to rape, Ishwar had still hunted down and killed the man who dared to touch her. With him dead, Ishwar took his anger out on the small child. He slept in animal filth and wasn’t allowed anything more than old rags to cover his skinny body. He was about thirteen years old but his malnourished frame made him look younger.  
It was nearing nighttime and the boy had yet to eat or drink anything all day so he dared to venture outside the animal pen. It wasn’t locked, and he was technically allowed to leave whenever he wanted, but he risked running into Ishwar if he did so. He crawled along the edge of the house in the shadows, his calloused hands and feet sliding over the rocks and grass silently. He had gotten good at moving without being heard or seen, an essential skill to avoid being hurt.  
When he made it close to the entrance of the house, he slowed down, carefully poking his head around the doorframe and peering inside.  
Ishwar was sitting on the floor at the low table with his back facing the boy while Madhu stood, serving her husband and three other sons who ate dinner greedily. The three boys were Tanish, Rushil, and Jatin, all older than the boy, growing to be strong already, and the center of Ishwar’s world. He loved his sons, and the boy would watch in envy as Ishwar would sit his sons on his lap and tell them stories or play games with them.  
Madhu was bent over, arranging various dishes when she noticed the boy sitting outside in the dark, eyeing the food hungrily. When he realized he had been spotted, the boy flinched and backed away from the house rapidly.  
He was moving back towards the goat pen when he realized that no one was shouting after him. The other boys had learned from their father that the boy who lived with their goats and sheep was not a good boy and would alert their father if they saw him nearby. They delighted in the praise their father gave them and were still too young to understand that what Ishwar did to him was wrong.  
However, Madhu was the boy’s mother and knew it was wrong, so although she stood abruptly, alarmed, she told her husband nothing.   
The boy had been petting one of the sheep when he heard footsteps nearing the animal pen and he pressed his back into the wall, willing himself to disappear into it. His back was still bruised from the last time Ishwar had beaten him and he didn’t want the cuts on his hands to reopen from trying to protect his face. He covered his eyes and silently prayed for whoever was coming closer to change their mind. He regretted moving from the relative safety of the animal pen and berated himself internally for thinking he could get away with it.  
The gate opened and closed almost silently and the boy dreaded what was to come. When his hands were touched by another’s he flinched.  
“Eat, child.”  
He opened his eyes doubtfully and saw Madhu kneeling in front of him with a small dish of the foods he had spotted the others eating just a few minutes earlier. There wasn’t much in it but his stomach growled greedily nonetheless. He watched in confusion as Madhu placed the dish in front of him. He didn’t dare try and eat the food in case it was a trick.  
Madhu waited for a minute or so until she heard Ishwar call for her, wondering where she was. She stood up quickly, startling the boy and brushed the dirt off her plain saree, heading inside without another word.  
The second she was gone, the boy snatched up the bowl and began eating from it, using his hand to scoop up the grains and vegetables. His hunger was stronger than the fear of being beaten for eating it. It was gone too soon and the boy wanted more to eat but he settled back down to the ground anyways, knowing that he wasn’t going to get anymore tonight.  
The wall of the pen was the same wall in his half-brothers’ room and he pressed his ear against it, straining to hear Ishwar’s voice as he told a story. The boy couldn't make out the words but he closed his eyes and tried to imagine what the story was about.  
He imagined it was about a nice boy who could drink water and eat food whenever he wanted. A good boy who had friends and got to sleep inside a house with his family. A valuable boy who had a name. This was the same story he imagined nearly every night.  
He fell asleep to the low hum of Ishwar’s voice which was never this calm when he spoke to the boy.

“What’s this? Have you been stealing our food?!”  
The boy woke with a start to Ishwar’s form towering over him angrily. The man lifted his arm and the boy flinched, expecting to be hit, but Ishwar was just holding up the bowl he had eaten from the night before.  
The boy fumbled to respond, frozen by terror. “No!- I’m sorry.”  
“‘No, I’m sorry!’” Ishwar mimicked, “If you hadn’t stolen it then you wouldn’t be sorry, now would you?” Without waiting for a response, he lifted the boy by his hair which was longer than a boy’s hair should have been, and dragged him outside the pen.  
Ishwar pulled him over the patchy grass and sharp rocks until they were far enough from the animal pen that it would be fruitless for the boy to try and return to it for safety.  
“Please, I’m sorry!” The boy begged, trying to scramble away. Ishwar caught his foot easily and pulled him back.  
Hearing the yells, Madhu ran from the house, looking from Ishwar, to the boy underneath him, and then to the dish which she had forgotten to retrieve last night.  
“Do you need to do this?” She asked hesitantly, lowering her gaze when Ishwar glowered at her.  
“He needs to be taught a lesson about what happens to thieves.” He hissed.  
Madhu nodded meekly, saying nothing and backing away.  
Ishwar raised his hand and the boy tried to cover his face but was too slow. His entire body jerked to the right and his face stung horribly as he let out a shriek of pain. He shut his eyes tight as Ishwar grabbed him by the neck, turning the boy’s body back towards him in order to strike him again.  
The boy began sobbing, begging for the man to stop but his pleas fell upon deaf ears. Ishwar tore off the rag which was knotted around the boy’s shoulder in a poor attempt of creating a shirt and flipped the boy onto his stomach.  
The three older boys had wandered to the doorway, watching the events with mild interest but Madhu turned and ushered them inside, following them.  
Ishwar reached behind himself to grab the whip which he thought he had brought with him but it wasn’t there. The boy was given a brief respite as Ishwar searched the patchy grass around him for the whip, only to come up empty-handed. With a grunt of annoyance, Ishwar settled for using the bowl to strike the boy’s back instead.  
The boy had been prepared for the sting of a whip, not the ceramic bowl which Ishwar had hit him with and he struggled to take a breath in as the air was rushed out of his lungs. He laid there gasping for air and trying to push Ishwar away but was too weak. Ishwar hit him again, this time just to the right of the boy’s lower back. This didn’t steal the boy’s breath away like the previous hit, but it was still unbelievably painful.  
Ishwar hit him in the same place again and this time, the bowl broke, a piece of it penetrating the boy’s already-bruised skin. His cries became hysterical and Ishwar finally relented, letting the boy drag himself away weakly with one arm while the other arm grabbed at his bleeding lower back desperately.  
“You’re an undeserving rat. I should have killed you the moment you entered this world.” Ishwar spat at him, standing up and watching the boy crawl away slowly, back contorted in pain.  
The boy didn’t understand what Ishwar was saying to him but his harsh tone scared him and he whimpered, worried he was going to be attacked again. He finally managed to push himself onto his hands and knees and looked behind himself while crawling back towards safety.  
Ishwar collected the pieces of the broken bowl, throwing them at the retreating boy who let out a small cry as the largest piece lightly struck nearly the exact same spot on his lower back which Ishwar had made bleed.  
Ishwar began walking towards him and the boy cowered into the dirt, lifting his hands to protect the back of his head as he pressed his face into the ground. He tensed as Ishwar’s feet came into view but luckily, they continued past the boy towards the house.  
When the coast seemed clear, the boy lifted his head cautiously, peering around on the lookout for Ishwar or any of the boys. With a small sigh of relief which melted into a quiet sob, the boy pressed his hands to his eyes and rubbed the dirt from them. He wished he had some clean water to wash his back but he hadn’t been given any for a long time and he knew he would have to use the animal’s water again.  
The boy began crawling back to the animals but remembered the ragged shirt Ishwar had torn from his body. Being given any sort of rag to cover his body was a rarity and the boy definitely didn’t want to lose it.  
He snatched up the rag lying in the dirt and returned to the animals just in time for Ishwar and the three boys to exit the house. The boy didn’t know where they went, but he knew he wasn’t allowed to join them as he had tried once and been beaten severely for the foolish attempt. They left early in the morning and would return for lunch and then dinner, sometimes bringing lots of food with them.  
Madhu never joined them either and the boy didn’t fully understand why, but she would spend her time preparing meals or performing other tasks. During this time, the boy would care for the goats and sheep, as well as the chickens which had their own coop but mostly wandered the yard. The boy was weak and caring for the animals took most of his day but he was always sure to be done before Ishwar got home.  
Everyday was the same for the boy, the only changes were in how Ishwar would take his anger out on him.  
On one such occasion, when the boy’s old injuries had finally healed, he was chased from the pen by Ishwar, who had brought his whip with him this time. The boy tried to understand what he had done wrong, going over the tasks he was required to perform daily but couldn’t think of anything so he assumed Ishwar simply needed an outlet.  
The boy didn’t bother trying to run but mentally prepared himself for the pain to come as Ishwar raised his whip overhead.  
“What’d she do?”  
Both the boy and Ishwar jerked their heads towards the stranger who they hadn’t noticed enter the property. He was an average-looking man with brown skin, brown eyes, and short black hair, but the clothes he wore were unlike the boy had ever seen. To him, what Ishwar, Madhu, and their sons wore was worthy of envy, but this man’s clothing was beyond anything the boy could dream of.  
His calf-length tunic was bright red on the upper half and embroidered from the collar to the wrists in waves of fine golden thread. The lower half of the tunic was a deeper red which contrasted the man’s white pants. Unlike Ishwar’s work shoes, the only ones he owned, the man’s sandals were made of fine leather and looked new.  
On his ankles and wrists, the man wore golden bangles engraved with blood-red gems which caught the sunlight and glimmered.  
Ishwar eyed the man suspiciously, caught between offense over the man invading his property, and wariness for the man’s unknown status. He decided to play it safe and answered the question.  
“Does a man need a reason to discipline his child?” Ishwar asked and the man chuckled.  
“That is the point of discipline.” He replied and the boy saw Ishwar’s hand holding the whip clench but he said nothing.  
The man noticed Ishwar’s anger. “I should have introduced myself before entering your property.” The man placed his hands together and raised his fingers to his hairline while bending forward at the waist.  
“My name is Yagnesh”  
Ishwar was startled by the sign of respect and quickly dropped the whip, making the same gesture as the man, but being sure to bow lower.  
“Ishwar.”  
They both rose and Yagnesh moved a bit closer, taking a look at the boy.  
“She’s going to grow into a beautiful woman, I can tell.”  
Ishwar, already embarrassed by his original poor behavior, just hummed his agreement.  
The boy wanted to correct the man and tell him he wasn’t a girl but when Yagnesh looked into his eyes, he cowered under their gaze and stayed silent.  
His frame was quite feminine, certainly in part due to his poor diet and his dark hair was long from not having the tools needed to cut it, but it was mostly his face which made Yagnesh incorrectly perceive him to be a girl. His face was well-defined, but his dark almond eyes, small nose, and well-defined feminine lips contrasted any masculine features he had.  
Yagnesh examined him a second longer in silence before he suddenly turned to Ishwar.  
“As you are probably aware of, there is a shortage of workers for many jobs in the city.” Yagnesh told him.  
“Yes, I… Am aware.” Ishwar replied hesitantly.  
“I’ve come to collect workers. There is good money, housing, and food that comes with it.” Yagnesh spoke smoothly.  
“Thank you but I have my family to take care of.” Ishwar responded politely.  
Yagnesh gave him a charming smile. “I was actually talking about your child here.”  
The sitting boy looked between the two men, not quite understanding what they were saying. He liked the man’s smile, and he really liked his clothing. He wanted to touch the clothing but knew it would never be allowed as he would get dirt on it so he distracted himself by tracing his fingers along blades of grass.  
Knowing the job wasn’t intended for him, Ishwar became curious. He had never had a job in the city and obviously he couldn’t take it, but it seemed the man could take the boy away. Ishwar would have paid someone to take the bastard off his hands, but being the one who got the money and was left without the boy was an offering he couldn’t refuse.  
“How much?” He asked curiously.  
“Forty thousand rupees. On the spot”  
Ishwar stared at him blankly before the realization that Yagnesh wasn’t messing with him set in.  
“You’re serious?” He demanded. “Forty thousand? On the spot?”  
Yagnesh grinned, and although the gesture wasn’t directed at him, the boy couldn’t help but feel a warmth spread through him.  
“Do we have a deal? I can get the money now if we do.”  
“Wait, I have three older boys. They can work for you too as long as they can return.” Ishwar offered and Yagnesh’s smile faltered into a barely perceptible grimace before it returned.  
“I’ll keep that in mind if we need others.” He dodged.  
Ishwar could have sworn the man had mentioned something about a shortage of workers but didn’t argue, he was completely content with the original deal.  
“We have a deal.” Ishwar confirmed, putting his hand out to shake Yagnesh’s.  
Seeing the dirt caked into Ishwar’s calloused fingers, Yagnesh raised a single eyebrow and didn’t take it. Ishwar jerked his hand back, embarrassed, and Yagnesh turned back towards the front of the property.  
“I’ll get the money if you want to say goodbye.” He told a flustered Ishwar while walking away.  
When Yagnesh was out of sight, Ishwar rounded on the boy who was still crouched on the dirt.  
“Do not mess this up.” He hissed and the boy looked up perplexed, tilting his dirty face to one side.  
Ishwar grimaced and pulled up the corner of his own clothing, jerking the boy’s face towards it. He rubbed the dirt off roughly, revealing the boy’s brown and olive skin. Ishwar wished he could quickly wash the boy in order to ensure he made a better impression but knew there wasn’t enough time. He just hoped Yagnesh wouldn’t pull out of the deal for the boy’s poor state.  
In his excitement, Ishwar had forgotten to correct the man, he realized, on the boy not being a girl. He debated explaining it to Yagnesh when he came back but decided against it. He didn’t want the man to change his mind if he thought Ishwar had lied to him. Besides, a boy could do anything a girl could do much better.  
Satisfied with his work, Ishwar stepped away from the boy who blinked rapidly. Although what Ishwar had done was uncomfortable, it was nowhere as near painful as the boy had expected and didn’t quite understand why Ishwar had done it. He lifted a hand to his face and gently felt the tender skin as Ishwar turned around to greet Yagnesh as he rejoined the two.  
“Here it is, forty thousand rupees.” Yagnesh handed Ishwar a stack before moving to the boy’s side.  
“What’s her name?” He asked, stroking the boy’s face as he looked up in amazement.  
Ishwar dropped a few bills as he looked through the stack greedily. “Oh, ah… You can call him- her, whatever you want.” He fumbled nervously.  
“Perfect.” Yagnesh smirked, moving his hand to the boy’s neck. “Well it’s a long way to Kolkata so we’ll be off now.”  
Ishwar looked up from the money. “Kolkata?” He asked, narrowing his brows.  
“Yes.” Yagnesh, grabbed the boy’s hand and pulled him to his feet. “The company I work for sells various products to customers with particular… interests.”  
Ishwar looked at the man warily but quickly relaxed his face when Yagnesh turned, guiding the boy to the street with one hand.  
The boy was still unsure what had occurred but followed the man in the nice clothes. When they made it to the street, his mouth fell open and he gasped. He had only seen a car once or twice in his life and this one was much larger than the others. Yagnesh smirked at him and opened up the back of the car.  
“You like it?” He asked, not expecting a reply. “I’m glad, because you will be spending a bit of time here.”  
The boy was thrilled when the man picked him up and placed him inside. It was a large open space with no windows or places to sit but the boy had no other experience to compare it to. The man watched him explore the space for a few seconds before he spoke again.  
“Now what should we call you?” He mused to himself.  
The boy paid no attention to the man but quirked his head to the side when he thought he heard the sound of Madhu screaming in the distance.  
Yagnesh looked towards the house before gesturing to the boy to come closer. The boy crawled over obediently and the man grabbed a piece of jewelry which looked odd to the boy and placed each silver bangle around his hands before shutting them. The boy tried to pull his hands apart but found that a silver chain connected them. He looked up.   
“How about Veshya?” Yagnesh sneered and the boy’s face contorted in slight confusion. This smile did not make him feel happy.  
The confusion switched to alarm as he heard Madhu yell again, this time getting closer.  
Yagnesh rolled his eyes and connected the silver around the boy’s hands to a clip on the side of the truck’s wall before slamming the back doors shut.  
The boy heard Madhu’s voice just outside the walls of the car and he wanted to go to her, suddenly feeling anxious but was stopped by whatever Yagnesh had placed around his wrists. Ishwar’s and Yagnesh’s voices argued for a few minutes before the car suddenly rumbled and began moving. The boy’s fear grew stronger and tears came to his eyes as he heard Madhu’s screams continue, fading in the distance as the truck moved further away.


	2. Chapter Two

The next few days, the boy was joined by other girls, but Yagnesh gave him the most attention, something which he enjoyed but also made him uncomfortable. Yagnesh called him Veshya, which the boy saw made some of the older girls cringe, but he didn’t understand what it meant so he began to respond to it like he would a name. He would whisper in the boy’s ear as his hands trailed along his small body, sneaking past the thin clothes he wore. The boy knew that this is what dads must do so he would lean into the man’s touch, grateful.  
The boy didn’t try to speak to the girls as he barely spoke any Urdu, so he stuck to himself, eating the meals Yagnesh brought everyone without talking.  
A few days in, they began making long stops at which Yagnesh would take a few girls out who didn’t return, until it was just the boy.  
The next time they stopped, Yagnesh finally took the jewelry off of the boy’s wrists and helped him out of the back of the truck.  
Not having been outside for several days, the boy shut his eyes tight against the daylight as Yagnesh guided him. When his eyes had adjusted enough, the boy blinked his eyes open and tried to take the sights in around him even as he was guided into a building.  
He was surprised to see that it was actually nighttime. There were hundreds of lights, large, small, unnatural, and natural, shining and flashing in every color bright enough to trick his eyes into thinking it was daytime. There were also hundreds of people all packed closely together, walking along the narrow dirt road which was lined by buildings which seemed to reach the sky. Everyone moved along, pausing at street vendors and doorways, talking excitedly to friends or keeping to themselves. The street felt alive as it hummed and clattered, the air filled with the aroma of spices and sweet foods which was spread with a slight warm breeze.  
The car had stopped outside one of the tall buildings and Yagnesh led the boy inside through a doorway, lifting aside red silk drapes as the boy strained to keep his eyes on the sights outside which he was fascinated by.  
When the drapes fell back over the entrance, blocking the boy’s view, he turned and was met with a startlingly different setting.  
The room was spacious and lanterns hanging on the dark wooden ceiling in colored casings cast the room in a sultry red glow. To the right was an area filled with an assortment of places to sit- chairs, couches, ottomans- which were occupied by women wearing colorful gowns and makeup, sitting in various positions which made the boy blush.  
There were men milling around the women, murmuring in hushed voices and reaching out to examine their faces. A couple of men led women up the stairs which were directly across the room from the entrance the boy had been led through. Whatever was at the top of the stairs was concealed by red silk, similarly to the entrance of the building.  
The space to the left was smaller, filled with a tall black desk, occupied by an older woman who was looking down at her work. To each side of the desk were two dark wooden doors which were closed.  
Yagnesh left the boy standing in awe at the entrance, gazing along the half dozen dark wooden pillars separating the left and right side of the room on either side of a long red carpet which led from the entrance to the bottom of the stairs. He stepped forward to move towards the stairs when a hand grabbed his shoulder and jerked him to his left.  
It was the older woman who had been at the desk. Her body was heavy-set and her face was covered in wrinkles which she didn’t bother to try and cover with makeup. Her graying brown hair was pulled behind her head and she peered at the boy with beady calculating eyes and furrowed brows. The boy didn’t speak or meet her eyes, looking to Yagnesh who stood behind her, giving the boy an encouraging nod.  
“You’re a useless imbecile.” The woman finally snapped, startling both Yagnesh and the boy.  
Yagnesh put his right hand on the woman’s left shoulder. “She doesn’t need to be smart, so long as she’s a good girl.”  
The woman pushed his hand away roughly. “He’s a boy, you blind half-wit.”  
Yagnesh stared in shock for a few seconds at the woman before he moved his gaze to the apparent male in front of him. Now that the woman mentioned it, the child did sort of look like a boy.  
The woman slapped Yagnesh across the face, just hard enough for it to sting.  
“Your ineptitude has once again wasted my time. Take care of him outside and get out of my sight.” She growled, shuffling back towards her desk. “I have no idea why Pita thought you would be suitable for this job.”  
Yagnesh glared at the frightened boy as if it was his fault and grabbed him by the neck to push him back towards the entrance. They had just made it to the silk-covered doorway when the woman’s voice stopped them.  
“Wait.”  
The two turned to her as she moved closure, taking another look at the boy. She examined his face, and hummed.  
“He can stay for now.” She decided.  
Yagnesh quirked his head to the side. “Why? He’ll be useless.”  
“He may suit Pita’s current needs, and in the meantime, I’ll find work for him to do.” She mused.  
“And if he doesn’t fit his needs?” Yagnesh asked.  
“Well, he’ll be dead either way.”  
Yagnesh considered that and nodded. “I guess you’re right.”  
“I am. Nasrin, come here.” She called out.  
One of the women who had been posing alongside the pillars strode over. She was young and beautiful with long, dark hair which pooled along her back in loose curls, cool brown skin, and large, dark, almond eyes. “Yes Ishani?”  
“Take- What’s his name?” Ishani asked Yagnesh who shrugged.  
“I never asked.” He admitted, looking at his nails. “I took to calling her Veshya.”  
Ishani rolled her eyes. “Him.” She corrected, before adding “Now get out.”  
This time it was Yagnesh who rolled his eyes, giving the woman Nasrin a wink, who was unimpressed, before sauntering out of the building.  
Ishani glared at the boy. “What’s your name?” She demanded but the boy just stared up at her in confusion.  
“N-name?” He asked hesitantly.  
“Yes. What are you called?” Ishani snapped impatiently making the boy flinch.  
He considered the question before replying. “Ladaka.”  
The boy wasn’t expecting the woman to hit him and his face stung from the surprising amount of force she managed to put behind it. “Last chance, not that you need a name for the rest of your short life. Tell me your name.”  
The boy was frightened of the angry woman and tried to think hard about what he was called. Yagnesh had been the only one to call him by any name. “Veshya.” He told the woman slowly, unsure if it was the right answer.  
Evidently it wasn’t as she flung her hands in the air in exasperation.  
“I don’t have time to deal with this. Take Veshya upstairs and get him cleaner clothes, we’ll get him started on some work later.” Ishani told Nasrin who nodded.  
“Yes Ishani.” She murmured before grabbing the boy by his wrist and dragging him towards the stairs which led to another floor.  
The boy followed without complaint, eyes exploring the interesting place he was in.  
He looked around as he and Nasrin passed through more red fabric at the top of the stairs. It revealed a long narrow hallway, dimly lit by small lights beside a dozen or so doors which were open for the most part. As they passed the first open door, the boy looked inside and found that it was a small room with colorful fabric drapes covering the wall as well as the large bed which took center. The other rooms were the same, the only difference were the designs of the vibrant decorations which the boy stared at, thoroughly enchanted.  
One of the rooms further down was open but a woman and a man, the ones he had seen climbing the stairs minutes before, were inside. The boy's eyes widened and he craned his neck as they passed the room, trying to see what the couple was doing but was jolted forward by his wrist.  
Nasrin glared down at him wordlessly and continued to drag him until they made it to the end of the hallway where they turned left, entering a closed door on the right side of the new hall which was shorter.  
The room was much larger than any of the others, but also less exciting. There were few colorful fabrics and the ten to twenty beds were smaller, rickety, metallic, triple-bunks, tightly packed together in columns of twos, shorter side of the beds parallel to the door. The thing the boy liked more about this room were the ten or so windows which were just tall enough that he would have to stand on his tiptoes to see through them.  
“So ‘Veshya’ is it?”  
The boy looked to Nasrin who let go of his wrist before heading towards a cluster of bunks in the back-left corner of the room. Hesitantly the boy followed until Nasrin turned back towards him.  
“Interesting name, I guess.”  
The boy stared for a few seconds. Was she talking about… his name?  
His face brightened and he smiled. This felt like a dream come true. He finally had a name of his own.  
“Take off your clothes.”


	3. Chapter Three

Veshya stared at Nasrin blankly until the woman rolled her eyes.  
“I don’t have time for this” she muttered and grabbed his shirt, ripping it off despite the muffled cry of protest from Veshya as his precious shirt and shorts were stolen from him.  
He was left naked and confused as Nasrin moved to the front left corner of the room which was blocked from his sight by a makeshift barrier of plastic crates stacked on their sides. There was a few seconds of rustling When Nasrin emerged, she lifted a piece of fabric and let it unroll to reveal a man’s tunic. It was a dull green and rather plain, but it was clean.  
Nasrin looked from the boy to the tunic and back again, unimpressed. It was much too long for him but it would have to do.  
“Arms up… Hold still…” She ordered.  
She worked the tunic over his head and pulled his arms through the long sleeves none-too-gently before straightening out the cloth. The tunic trailed beneath the boy’s knees and Nasrin grumbled before going to her knees to fiddle with the fabric, trying to find a way to adjust it. Veshya didn’t hear her as he examined the long sleeves and fabric in amazement. He reveled in the fact that there were no holes to be seen anywhere on it.  
“I don’t know why I even bother.” Nasrin dropped the bottom of the fabric with a huff. “You’ll be dead soon anyways.”  
Veshya watched her carefully as she stood up, turning to the door without following up her rather tactless words.  
“I’m hungry.”  
Nasrin halted at those nearly-imperceptible words and turned to Veshya, hands on her hips, looking annoyed.  
“You don’t get food until you deserve it. And you don’t deserve it until you’ve done your fair share of work.” She paused before adding “Sit on the floor there and don’t move until I return.”  
With that, the woman was gone.  
Veshya stood where he was for a few minutes, watching the doorway until his thoughts were broken away by the sound of a woman moaning. He looked at the wall where the noise seemed to be coming from as it continued. When the sound didn’t die out and was instead joined by another woman and the lower grunts of a man along with the sound of creaking, the boy’s curiosity turned to confusion.  
However, his attention was quickly stolen as the noises of the busy street below the building met his ears. He grabbed the post of the triple-bunk bed and stood on his tip-toes to try and look through the window but even after straining his neck, he was too short. The street and the people walking on it were just out of his sight, so he stuck with staring at the tall buildings of various colors and lights. The thought of using the bed to climb up higher crossed Veshya’s mind but he quickly pushed it aside, he didn’t want to get in trouble.  
When his legs and feet got tired, Veshya sat down and waited for Nasrin to return, but, despite the symphony of human noises, he found himself falling asleep. His breathing slowed as his eyes sleepily blinked shut until his entire body slumped to the wooden floor.  
Hours later, Veshya awoke to a woman entering the room and he scrambled to his feet. However, when the woman came closer, he could see she wasn’t Nasrin. Not knowing what to do, Veshya stood still and silent, surprised when the woman passed him without even a glance, and climbed up to the top bed of the bunk Veshya had been waiting by.  
He hesitated before sitting back down. Just when his eyes began to droop again, he saw another woman enter the room from the corner of his eyes. This time he didn’t stand, but watched as the woman moved for a bunk in the center of the room. As time passed, more people entered, always women, and always too tired to acknowledge the boy in their room. Most women just moved straight for their bunk before removing their clothes, at which point, Veshya covered his eyes with both hands, blushing.  
Nasrin finally returned just as the lights outside in the street began switching off, at which point, Veshya realized the sun was already coming up. He stood up, feeling wary and wanting to go to sleep, but also excited. Nasrin beckoned him over through the doorway and he followed her.  
They moved to the door closest to the sleeping room and Nasrin yawned before explaining.  
“You’re going to take the blankets and sheets off the bed first. I’ll show you where to take them later, for now just set them outside the room.”  
Veshya followed the instructions before Nasrin gave him further directions. Downstairs through the door to the left of Ishani’s desk was a room with cleaning supplies and fresh bedding washed the previous day. Veshya was to sweep the room’s floor, dust the walls, spray a fragrance which covered up the human odor and replaced them with what Nasrin called an “aphrodisiac”, and replace the bedding.  
Although he was slow and kept getting reprimanded for it by Nasrin, he didn’t have other troubles until it came to the bedding.  
“Wrong side… No dumbass, flip it over… Do it again… That’s not tight enough… Get out the wrinkles…”  
Veshya was sweating by the end and his arms shook, both in fatigue as well as fear. Nasrin had yet to hit him for his stupidity, but he was beginning to feel frightened. With a sigh, Nasrin eventually had to finish the bed for Veshya.  
“Worthless waste of daytime.” Nasrin muttered as they moved for the next room. This time, Veshya followed through the steps without prompting, as well as without any scolding from Nasrin. When he finished, he turned, expecting some cutting comment, but found that she had fallen asleep, leaning against the wall. It was then that he realized how tired she must be.  
Unsure of what to do, Veshya waited for a few minutes before he dared to try and wake her.  
“Nasrin… Nasrin, I-I’m done…” He whispered quietly.  
When that did nothing, he brushed his fingers across her shoulder gently. This seemed to work as she jumped awake, almost falling over but catching herself. She whirled on Veshya in anger.  
“The hell did you think you could touch me for, pest?” She growled, and Veshya backed away, trembling slightly.  
“D-done.” He mumbled.  
Nasrin curled her lip in disbelief until she tore her gaze from the small boy and looked around the room. It wasn’t perfect, but it would pass for now. With a stretch and groan from Nasrin, they continued to the next room.  
“I can finish. You can go sleep?” Veshya asked hesitantly, his ability to speak sub-par due to inadequate teaching, as well as not being used to speaking in the first place.  
Nasrin whirled on him and he gasped, flinching away as he expected to be hit.  
“We’ll sleep when the work is done.”  
Veshya continued to work on the other rooms, getting faster as time went on, until the pile of used bedding was taking up a large portion of the hallway. Hours later when he finished, Nasrin told him to get some sleep before the other women woke up. He was grateful for the break and fell asleep quickly despite the mid-day heat.  
Veshya woke up with the women in the evening and Nasrin had him follow as they all moved downstairs, most chatting with each other and laughing. They were much more energetic than they had been the night before, but still didn’t pay mind to Veshya as he was led outside and around the building. There was a courtyard hidden from the streets with several large crates and a water pump. Without hesitation, the women stripped off their colorful clothing and filled the crates with water to bathe.  
Minutes later, a few men appeared and stood at the entrance of the courtyard to watch as water pooled around the naked, supple, and young, bodies of which they would likely come back to later tonight. Each one had a colorful ribbon in their hand which Veshya looked at curiously until Nasrin snapped at him to pay attention. None of the women seemed worried by the men in the least, some even began to flirt with them.  
Veshya was directed by Nasrin to return upstairs and bring the soiled bedding down to wash and dry it. She told him how to do it, and then reprimanded him in all the ways he was doing it wrong, all the while she cleaned herself off. Once he had gotten the fabrics in several tubs of soapy water to soak, Nasrin made him bathe and showed him how to comb his hair, tearing out the curls impatiently while he tried to not cry from the burning in his scalp. All the pain was forgotten however, when he felt his own hair, fascinated by the smoothed waves.  
When she had finished, Nasrin had Veshya help out the few women who were still bathing. Veshya combed the hair of a few women, being much more careful of detangling it, while they ate strange small circles, smaller than a pinky nail. After eating them, Veshya noticed the women became much more relaxed, and spoke loudly, amusement bubbling out of them easily until they too moved inside.  
Nasrin had told Veshya to return when he was done as she had finished off the bedding with a rinse before connecting them to lines of rope criss-crossing across the courtyard. She had explained each step while he brushed out the women’s hair.  
When he entered the building again, it was close to dusk and similarly to yesterday, there were men inside, some already guiding freshened-up women upstairs. Veshya looked for Nasrin among those on the floor but moved upstairs when he had no luck. He wound his way carefully between the people milling around upstairs and meant to enter the sleeping quarters but found himself in another room where a man was thrusting into a woman who was on her hands and knees on the bed.  
Veshya let out a gasp of shock and the man turned to him, eyes filled with something the boy had only seen when Yagnesh snuck his hands underneath his clothes. But whereas Yagnesh had restrained himself from demanding more, this man looked Veshya up and down before smirking.  
“I’ve never seen one so young. Are you here to get a taste of this?”  
Veshya surveyed the man before looking at the woman who was laying still, legs spread, laying on her back facing away from the door. “A taste of what?” He asked quietly.  
A broad grin crossed the man’s lips. “Come here and I’ll show you.”  
Veshya moved forward but before he could get a few steps in, he was torn back by his wrist.  
Nasrin pulled him behind her roughly, grip painfully tight but when she spoke, her voice didn’t reflect the anger Veshya could feel steaming out of her. “I am so sorry for the interruption.” She apologized.  
“The only interruption not welcomed here is yours.” The man glowered, annoyed.  
Veshya felt Nasrin’s grip tighten on him but she managed to speak calmly back at the boy.  
“Go to the sleeping quarters.”  
He left immediately, listening as Nasrin calmed the man, and moved one door over to find the correct room. A little less than half of the women were still inside, putting on colorful robes and embroidered fabrics, both which were just thin enough to get a glimpse of the skin underneath. Veshya watched in fascination as the women helped one another with their hair before coloring their faces and putting on jewelry.  
A few minutes later, Nasrin returned, and Veshya shrunk away as she stalked towards him. Without a word, she pushed him to the ground and began spanking him hard. He cried out a few times, more from shock than pain, as she took out her anger on him.  
When hitting him wasn’t enough, she left and returned with a crop and began striking his back with it. This hurt much more and by the time Nasrin was satisfied he had been thoroughly punished, Veshya’s face was streaked with tears.  
He was much more careful about entering the correct room after that incident. Days passed and Veshya fell into a familiar routine. He would wake up before dawn when the “customers”, as Nasrin called them, left, clean up the rooms, wash the old bedding outside, and then help the cook with food preparations until the women woke up. He helped bathe them and wash their hair as they ate their “happy pills”, until work began for them.  
Some nights, Veshya wouldn’t be allowed to sleep when the women began to work. He was ordered to clean up The Floor where the customers chose who they would spend the night with. The men would harass him, calling him names and shoving him as he passed them, but he was told by Nasrin to not resist, so he would accept the treatment before continuing with his work.  
He much preferred the work outside, and the men who watched as the women bathed, didn’t touch Veshya.  
A few days in, Veshya was helping one of the younger girls wash off her back when a man appeared who frightened him. He had seen a few light-skinned people before, but this one had light hair and light eyes as well. Veshya had no idea people looked like this and wished for the man to leave, something about him made Veshya wary.  
He could feel the man’s gaze on him as he worked. Although he often received attention from many of the watchers, interest usually faded as other women would flirt, trying to secure themselves a customer. If anything, the man’s interest increased and he focused solely on him, much to the annoyance of the women, and dismay of Veshya.  
Just when the man looked like he was about to move further into the courtyard, Nasrin appeared, and a vague relief filled the boy.  
“No service without payment.” She told the man firmly.  
The man looked lazily from Veshya to her and for a second, the boy was afraid he wasn’t going to listen. But, with a final smirk at Veshya, the man turned wordlessly and left. Nasrin narrowed her eyes and turned to follow where the man’s gaze had been, and found a frightened Veshya, staring frozenly where the man had left.  
Nasrin groaned and moved to the boy. “You’re fine.” She snapped, and he flinched, not comforted in the slightest.  
After rolling her eyes, Nasrin spoke again, “Look at me.” She ordered and Veshya obeyed.  
“If a man comes back here and doesn’t have a ribbon in his hand, that means he didn’t pay, which means you come tell me, and I’ll take care of him. Got it?”  
Veshya thought for a few seconds before nodding his head.  
“Now hurry up.” Nasrin muttered and left.  
After that, a few days passed. Normal days with long hours of work, little food, and barely any sleep on the hard floor beside Nasrin’s bunk. Veshya’s old life was quickly left behind as he dedicated his focus to working. Madhu, Ishwar, his brothers, and Yagnesh were forgotten as new people entered his life, primarily Nasrin, who was less than thrilled about Ishani placing the boy in her responsibility.  
She was harsh in her criticisms of him, reminding him that the only reason he was alive was in order to wait for “Pita”, the man Ishani had mentioned, to take him away forever.


	4. Chapter 4

Veshya woke up to the sound of the women returning to their beds and pushed himself off the hardwood floor rubbing his eyes. He must have slept in a bad position because his back was aching. For the first time, he looked at the bunkbeds where the women slept and wished he could sleep in one as well.  
Pushing that thought to the side, Veshya limped slowly to the first room not in use and began his chores. He had gotten good enough at cleaning the rooms that sometimes he would be able to take a quick nap before the evening came.   
He had finished hanging up the bedding to dry outside and planned on heading straight upstairs to sleep but decided to take the time to bathe alone. His body was still sore and he hoped water would make him feel better. He washed himself down, and began combing his hair carefully when he felt a tingling sensation at the back of his head. He turned slowly and looked around the small courtyard but saw nobody. It was early evening, so many people were out on the street in front of the building. He resumed his task but something still felt off.  
Veshya looked around the courtyard again but didn’t feel any relief from seeing nobody there. He climbed out of the water cautiously and poked his head around some of the drying bedding. With two shaking hands, he picked up his tunic and was going to put it on when he heard footsteps approaching. With a gasp, Veshya whirled around, heart pounding, only to find one of the women entered the courtyard. She gave Veshya a curious stare before moving to clean herself.  
Part of him wanted to run inside, but he knew he was supposed to help wherever he could so Veshya forced himself to stay, feeling more relaxed as they were joined slowly by more women. He combed their hair as they washed themselves off and spoke to each other. Most of them also took a pill as usual and Veshya was curious what he could do to get one.  
“Do those make pain go away?” He asked, much to the surprise of the women, and to his own surprise.  
They exchanged glances before one of them smiled. “In a way, yes.” She told Veshya.  
“Can I have one?” He asked, and they laughed.  
“You don’t need it for the work you do.” The same woman replied.  
“Oh.” Veshya looked away.  
He continued combing out hair, half-listening to the women as they shared stories and laughed until the courtyard became oddly quiet. He looked up and saw that most of the women had stopped talking and were looking at something behind Veshya. Curious, he turned as well and saw that the light-skinned man from yesterday had returned.  
Some of the women returned to the task at hand while others eyed the man, uncomfortably. Veshya remembered what Nasrin had told him before and looked for a ribbon on the man’s hand but found none. With a nervous gulp, he got out of the water carefully and put his tunic on, feeling the man’s eyes follow him. Veshya didn’t care that his tunic was soaked immediately, it offered a bit of protection from the unwelcomed gaze. He moved for the door to the building to get Nasrin but the man moved, blocking Veshya’s path.  
Veshya glanced at the women in the tubs for help but none of them intervened, watching warily instead. He looked up at the man who was much taller than him and tried to speak.  
“Sorry. I, uh. Excuse me.” Veshya moved to the side of the man but was pulled back by a grip on his wrist.  
Veshya gasped in surprise which became pain and fear as he was pulled too close to the man, his chest barely reaching the older man’s abdomen. The man tilted Veshya’s face up to him and stroked his soft cheek. His grip forced Veshya to stare up at him. When the man finally let go, Veshya let out a sigh of relief and tried to pull his wrist out of the man’s grip but a force struck him hard across his face and he suddenly found himself on the ground. A pain flashed over Veshya’s skin and it took him a few seconds to realize the man had hit him.  
He lay stunned on the ground for a few seconds, but only came to when he found the man between his legs, leaning over Veshya’s trembling body.  
“No! Stop!” He cried out, spotting a few women slipping out of the water and running inside.  
The man ignored him and placed his hands on either side of Veshya’s hips before his fingers trailed down to Veshya’s knees. The weak boy tried to resist but was helpless as his legs were bent and his tunic began riding up, exposing his legs further.  
“Just what the hell do you think you’re doing?”  
Veshya almost began to sob in relief from hearing Nasrin’s voice. The man paused and turned his head to face her but didn’t move his body. Nasrin was standing with her legs shoulder-width apart, arms crossed over her chest, completely calm. She didn’t even glance at Veshya.  
The man finally spoke, but Veshya didn’t understand the words that came out of the man’s mouth. Nasrin however, seemed to understand and she responded sharply, moving to Veshya’s side and kneeling down.  
Veshya was startled when she grabbed the bottom of his tunic and pulled it up sharply to just above his abdomen, revealing much more of his skin than felt right. He pulled against Nasrin’s hands to try and get her to stop, but just like with the man, he was unable to. Nasrin’s eyes were focused on the man and she said something shortly before speaking in words Veshya understood.  
“See, he’s a boy.”  
With that, Nasrin finally let go of Veshya’s tunic and he gratefully covered himself before looking up at the man who was still too close. The man’s lips curled into a smile and he said something to Nasrin. For a few seconds, she stood with her mouth slightly open, before her gaze hardened and she spoke softer.  
Veshya was confused but relieved when the man stood up, and Veshya did the same, stumbling behind Nasrin. The man pulled money out of his pockets and handed it to Nasrin with a smirk before leaving.  
Everyone in the courtyard seemed to let out a collective breath of air and Veshya fell to his knees, shaking. Nasrin told the other women to continue along before looking down at the boy.  
“Quit crying and stand up.”  
Veshya took in a shaky breath and stared up at her with wide teary eyes.  
“That man… He tried to-”  
“I don’t care what you think he tried to do.” She interrupted and Veshya fell silent.  
“Stand up and stop your whining. I promise you that for whatever you thought he was going to do, he’s going to do much worse.”  
Veshya was confused and stayed where he was. “But I thought you made him leave…”  
“No. I made him pay. He’s just waiting for you to join him upstairs.”  
The boy stared at Nasrin, feeling almost… Betrayed? He didn’t move until Nasrin shot him a warning glare. Veshya looked at the few women who were still bathing, hoping for help but everyone was seemingly occupied. He stood and obeyed Nasrin’s gesture to follow her. He was taken back to the sleeping quarters where his tunic was promptly removed and replaced by an aqua sari along with simple gold-colored jewelry placed around his wrists, neck, and ankles. He was uncomfortable with how little of his body was covered and the slight transparency of the material. Nasrin brushed out his hair without bothering to be gentle about any knots. She had a dark look on her face and Veshya didn’t dare interrupt whatever thoughts were running through her head.  
“Now you look presentable.”  
They walked silently to one of the many rooms and Nasrin reached for the door handle, but hesitated.  
Veshya took the moment to ask a question.  
“Do I get a pill?”  
“No.” She told him and his face fell. “It wouldn’t take effect soon enough anyways.” She added.  
Veshya had resigned himself to whatever was going to happen and waited to be told to enter the room, but Nasrin still hadn’t moved.  
Without looking directly at Veshya, she muttered at him: “Listen to what he says… And protect your face.”  
Without waiting for a response, she pushed the door open and Veshya hesitantly entered the room.  
The light-skinned man was standing by a window with his arms crossed. When he noticed Veshya standing awkwardly in the entrance, he gestured to him to come closer.  
Veshya stood tensely without moving for a few seconds but jolted forward after being startled by the door closing behind him. He slowly walked towards the man, eyes on the floor. He flinched when the man placed his large hands on either of Veshya’s shoulders before speaking in that same language he didn’t understand. Veshya looked up at the man who smirked before continuing in scratchy Hindi with a strange heavy accent.  
“You will remember this forever.”

Veshya tried to follow what Nasrin had told him but listening to the man was hard when his body was being torn apart. His fear and shock at the first intrusion was strong enough to blur out some of the initial pain but as the pain increased, he began to struggle. It was no use, the man was fully-grown and moved the boy where he was wanted with little effort.   
Veshya’s screaming protests and sobs only made the man smile. He was sure people could hear him, but no one came. He cried out for Nasrin. He cried out for his mother who was cities away. He even cried out for Yagnesh, even though he had sold him to this place. Even when he knew nobody was coming to help him, Veshya continued to cry. After he was gagged with cloth, his protests were quieter but tears continued to run down his face and his body shook.  
The sari had been removed long ago but most of the jewelry remained. By the time the man finished using him, Veshya couldn’t move. The slightest movement sent hot waves of agony from where he had been used, to all the way up his spine. His lap was wet and sticky from several different liquids. Sweat was familiar, blood was familiar although perhaps not in this particular area, but the thin white substance was new to him.  
Veshya didn’t notice when the man cleaned himself up and left. He was laying on the bed wanting nothing more than to simply disappear.  
When someone entered the room, Veshya whimpered and tried to turn himself onto his stomach so he could crawl away. There was no way he could survive another round like that. Never again. When his arm was gripped, he began to sob again.  
“Quiet now. Let’s go clean you up.”  
Veshya was brought to sit up at the edge of the bed while Nasrin put his old tunic over his head. He sniffled and kept his eyes on the ground. He didn’t think he would be able to stand but Nasrin surprisingly didn’t rush him as he eased his feet onto the floor, gripping the bed for support. The pain was burning and intense, but just manageable. Veshya followed Nasrin limping to the courtyard outside, struggling a bit with the stairs, and was directed to wash himself.  
Nasrin returned to the building as Veshya bathed alone. It was now night but none of the other women had finished with a customer yet for which he was grateful. He wanted to be alone and let the water clean his aching body.   
He stayed until a few others came outside and had just finished refilling one of the tubs with water when Nasrin returned.  
She looked him over quickly. “You had an easy customer.”  
Veshya stared at her in shocked dismay. “But he hurt me-”  
“He went easy on you.” Nasrin stated.  
“He didn’t! It felt horrible and I won’t do it again.” Veshya’s eyes were tearing up again in frustration.  
“You won’t have to.”  
Veshya looked up at Nasrin. “I don’t?”  
“You don’t.”  
Veshya was relieved but didn’t understand. “Why not?”  
“You were born a boy.” Nasrin told him simply.  
That didn’t make any sense. “Then why did he…”  
Nasrin sighed and grabbed Veshya by the shoulder, guiding him back inside. “I’ve been here for fifteen years and you know what? Today was the first time someone has come here looking for a boy.”  
“Really?” Veshya asked hopefully as they entered the building and moved upstairs.  
“Yes. That man was not from here. I’ve heard of his kind before but I’ve never met one.”  
When Nasrin left him in the sleeping quarters, Veshya remembered how tired he was. He wished he had some blankets on the floor to help him be comfortable and manage his pain. He no longer wanted to sleep in one of the bunkbeds. He never wanted to be on a bed again. The pain in his back from this morning seemed a childish thing to complain about in comparison to how he felt now. Veshya curled up on the hard floor beside Nasrin’s bunk and fell asleep despite the pain of his injured body.


	5. Chapter 5

Veshya thought sleeping would have made his body hurt less but he couldn’t have been more wrong. He was usually a very light sleeper and awoke on his own at the end of the night when the women were done with work but this time he had slept through it. Nasrin shook him awake and he cried out in fear, thinking that the man from yesterday was back for him. He was silenced with a rough hand over his mouth that didn’t do much for calming him down.  
“Get up.”  
Veshya remembered where he was with the others and his fear eased. But his pain returned at the same time. It was as if his body was being invaded at this very second.  
“Please. I can’t move.” He whispered.  
Nasrin got in her own bed and turned her back to him. “Quit whining and get your work done.”  
Veshya closed his eyes and debated staying where he was. He began to drift off but Nasrin reached her hand behind her and pushed the side of Veshya’s head.  
“Now sprat.”  
He groaned as he pushed himself to his knees and felt something slide off his body. He felt for the item and was surprised to find that it was a blanket. It was thin but soft and he ran his hands across it before looking at Nasrin's form. She must have covered him in it after he had fallen asleep.   
He was awake enough now and decided to start working. The second he tried to stand up however, he fell back down immediately with a strangled cry of pain. His body felt dreadful. Ishwar’s beatings had been painful but this was so much worse. Jolts of sharp agony shot from the epicenter of his pain across his back. His head hurt as well and he was a bit nauseous.  
He finally managed the struggle to his feet and began cleaning up the rooms. He had been hoping he could finish his work early so he could rest but his sore body prevented him from moving at a fast pace. He took breaks often and was especially slow going up and down the stairs. By the time he got all the bedding cleaned, hung up to dry, and rooms replenished, most women had already finished bathing.  
Veshya couldn’t sleep once he finished either because he had been ordered to help out on the floor. It was harder to ignore every touch of his body, intentional and not, because he felt so sensitive. He darted from corner to corner, getting the workers whatever they or their customers needed. Many times he thought he spotted the man from yesterday in the corner of his eyes and he would stop what he was doing with a jolt of fear but each time the man wasn’t there.  
“Come here boy.”  
Veshya was heading towards the stairs to grab a comb when Malkin called to him. He changed his direction and moved to the older woman who was standing behind her reception table. He slowed down when he noticed the man standing and watching Veshya approach.  
“Do you need-”  
“That’s the only one.” Malking told the man, ignoring Veshya who stood as far from the man as he could.  
“Looks like who my friend described.” The man said, looking Veshya over thoughtfully. “Change his clothes.”  
Malkin nodded and turned her attention to Veshya. “Go get changed and come back down” she ordered but Veshya didn’t move.  
His heart was beating rapidly and his muscles felt frozen. He couldn’t go through anything like yesterday again. The aches of his body became worse at the mere thought.  
“Ishani does our guest need to find someone to spend the night with?” Nasrin had walked over from the floor with a gracious smile, nodding at the man.  
Veshya didn’t know who Ishani was and was also confused by Nasrin’s smiling. He stared, silently begging her to get him out of here.  
“No. Your boy here will do just fine for him.” Malkin told her and Nasrin’s smile faltered.  
“Ah, I see.”  
“Move.” Malkin ordered Veshya who looked from Malkin, to the man, and then to Nasrin who looked at him impassively.  
“I don’t want to.” He whispered.  
“It’s not about what you want.” Malkin told him.  
He turned to Nasrin. “You said I wouldn’t have to do it again.” Veshya pleaded, tears beginning to well up in his eyes.  
Nasrin slapped him across the face hard enough that his head turned to his left. He stood for a few seconds in shock before lifting his hand to his cheek and feeling the burning skin beneath his fingertips. No one on the floor even glanced in his direction.  
“If I have to tell you to move one more time boy, I’ll send you outside with this man who can finish you off however he wishes once he’s done using you.”  
Veshya slowly looked to Malkin and nodded meekly and moved for the stairs.  
This time he had no help getting ready. After taking off his tunic, he found another sari, a dark purple which was less transparent than the one yesterday and wrapped it around his body the best he could. With shaking hands he grabbed a few pieces of mismatched jewelry and put them around his wrists, neck, and ankles like he had seen the women do every night. He brushed out his long dark hair, taking more time than he probably should have, and when he was done he moved downstairs.  
He avoided looking at the man. He was more afraid of the pain than he had been yesterday but at least this man wasn’t as scary-looking. His skin and hair were dark and he wore clothing like the other customers. He also spoke Hindi.  
“What’s your name?” He asked when they made it to an empty room to use.  
Veshya put his arms around himself and swayed slightly. “Veshya.” He whispered.  
The man smirked and grabbed both of the boy’s arms. “Yes it is.” He murmured and picked him up before sitting down and placing him on his lap.  
Veshya didn’t understand what the man meant by that but he was more concerned by the vulnerable position he was in. The skin of his most sensitive place burned with the slight stretch of having him straddle the man. He shifted uncomfortably as the man’s hands began exploring his body.  
“Absolutely stunning.” The man murmured absent-mindedly while running his hands through Veshya’s hair.  
Veshya closed his eyes when the hand caressed his cheek. The man traced his fingers down slowly down his neck before leaving his body. Veshya’s eyes widened with a gasp when the man flipped him onto his back in one movement. His legs shook hard as the man parted them to allow him to get close. He leaned over Veshya’s body and began working to get his pants down.  
Veshya closed his eyes and tried not to cry but when the man began to use him just as he had been used yesterday, he couldn’t stop the sobs from wracking his body. It didn’t matter than the man was more gentle, it hurt. It hurt so bad and there was nothing he could do but lay there and wait for the man’s thrusting to stop. This time he wasn’t in as much shock as yesterday and his mind forced him to be present for every touch on his bare skin and every word grunted out of the man’s mouth as he used words which Veshya didn’t understand.  
The only word he understood was his own name, and the man tainted it with each crewd whisper.  
The man finished and this time, Veshya was lucid enough to feel as a wetness filled his insides. When the man pulled away, breathing heavily, Veshya let his legs fall over the side of the bed without moving.  
“I’m glad Carter told me about you.”  
Veshya looked up at the man briefly as he re-situated his clothing but said nothing.  
“Few places offer what I’m looking for.” The man looked over Veshya’s body and exited with a final promise.  
“I’ll see you again.”


	6. Chapter 6

This time Nasrin didn’t come for Veshya. He was kicked out of the room after a few minutes of laying there by a woman and her customer. He retrieved his sari and limped out of the room in a pained rush. The stairs seemed to mock his desire to bathe himself clean and for a few minutes he stood at the top of them, trying to breathe evenly and convince himself to make the first step.  
He went down one slow step at a time and exited the building into the courtyard. He wasn’t alone this time and had to bathe with several women, most of whom were confused to see him there again. A few however gave him knowing sympathetic looks.  
He bathed slowly before drifting to the edge of the courtyard where he could look into the busy street. He thought about going out there and never coming back. Nasrin had lied and if he had gone through that twice in the last two nights, there was nothing stopping it from happening again. Unless he left this place.  
But the world outside was just as unfamiliar as it was here. Here he got a place to sleep indoors and enough food and clean enough water. He didn’t know if he would get those things if he left.  
Feeling dejected and exhausted from another long and painful day and night, Veshya moved back upstairs, finding Nasrin in the room, changing.  
“You lied to me.” He told her with a glare.  
Nasrin got her fabrics situated before turning to him. “I didn’t know.” She told him callously, placing shiny bracelets on her wrists.  
“I hate you.” Veshya immediately regretted his words for fear of being beaten worse. He took a few steps back, preparing to run if Nasrin came for him.  
But she stayed where she was, adjusting her accessories. “You should be grateful.” She muttered. “You’re too senseless to see that you’re being given a chance to live.”  
Veshya realized that Nasrin wasn’t angry, just tired, and the fear of being hurt dissipated, replaced with confusion.  
“What do you mean?” He asked cautiously.  
Finished with her jewelry, Nasrin looked up at him. “Remember the only reason you weren’t killed the second Ishani found out you are a boy is because she wanted to wait for Pita to see if he wants you.”  
Veshya had now heard the name Ishani twice but still didn't know who that was. “Ishani?” He questioned.  
“The Malkin’s name is Ishani. Malkin is her title as the owner of this brothel.” Nasrin explained. “Her husband takes unwanted workers with him to Laal Narak.”  
“What’s Laal Narak?” Veshya asked.  
“If someone ever makes it back from there, I’ll ask.”  
Veshya no longer felt he could sleep. He needed to get away as soon as possible. He would rather be back with Ishwar and Madhu than be here, waiting for some man to take him away.  
Nasrin saw the terror in his eyes and let it settle for a few seconds before re-stating: “Pita takes unwanted workers to Laal Narak.” with an emphasis on unwanted.  
Veshya was still feeling the urgency to run this second but he looked at Nasrin, not understanding.  
“I haven’t had a single man come here looking for a boy in fifteen years. Within the last day you’ve had two different men ask for you specifically. If you become valuable, if you become a wanted worker, Ishani will have no reason to send you away with Pita.  
Veshya wasn’t feeling any less scared. “But I don’t want to do it anymore. It hurts.”  
Nasrin rolled her eyes. “Obviously I’ll teach you how to make it hurt less. It can even become nearly enjoyable”  
Veshya was doubtful but nodded slowly anyways.  
Nasrin nodded and left him to sleep.  
The next night, Veshya was instructed in how to dress himself in various clothing and stand in front of the building to display himself. It was scary because of the looks he got from passer-bys but Nasrin reprimanded him for any look which she told him would turn every potential customer in a mile radius soft.  
He earned many scoldings which generally ended in calling him a “sprat”. When he asked Nasrin what a sprat was, she shrugged and told him it was some sort of small fish before snapping at him to stand up straight.  
Veshya didn’t have to worry about having a customer for the next few nights that followed. The men didn’t return which Veshya was grateful for although Nasrin told him it was nothing to be happy about. “Most return during the weekend. Gives them more time and a better excuse to give their spouses.”  
Veshya preferred his chores of cleaning more, even if they were tedious, he didn’t feel so vulnerable. Nasrin was only out with him between customers and helping the other women. She seemed to be very popular among the customers and would turn into an entirely different person when she saw someone she recognized. Veshya would watch her interactions carefully and try to mimk how she moved her body.  
A few times a man would be interested in Veshya but quickly changed his mind when he found out that he was not a girl. He had gotten used to being turned down for this and began to believe he wouldn’t have to deal with being hurt again. Until the weekend came again and he found himself surrounded by the light-skinned man, the second man who had used him, and a friend of theirs. He looked around for Nasrin desperately afraid but she was gone. He tried to get past them into the building but one of the men caught his wrist.  
“What’s the rush? We’ve got all night.”


	7. Chapter 7

Even the Malkin was surprised when she was told that three men wanted Veshya for an hour. It was uncommon for anyone to come to such an establishment as a group, let alone a group of men who preferred the company of a boy over a girl. But once the surprise passed, she was more than happy to accept their money and command Veshya to take them upstairs and show his customers “a good time”.  
Veshya considered once again to simply run out the door and never return but he thought against it. Besides, his body was already feeling much better and he knew what to expect. With a nod, Veshya guided the men to an empty room, trying to hide the fact that his legs were shaking already.  
Once in the room, Veshya dared to look up at the faces of the men before him. Looking at the white man, a faint memory passed over him.  
“Carter?” He asked, the name was strange but he believed that the second man who had used his body had mentioned that name before.  
Carter smirked and said something which Veshya didn’t understand but the man he had not met before spoke next.  
“That’s right. Carter told Kabir and I all about you.”  
Kabir got close to Veshya to put his hands on the boy's shoulders. “I told you I’d be back. This time we’re sharing you with Issac as well.”  
“Okay.” Veshya didn’t know what else he was supposed to say.  
Issac was a bit shorter than Kabir but had the same dark skin and hair, which was longer, as well as a bit of facial hair. Veshya wasn’t given much time to take in his appearance however as the men were quick to move him where he was wanted and get started.  
He was placed on his back, legs dangling off the edge of the bed like last time, the difference was that while Kabir was between his legs, Issac and Carter were on either side of him. Issac drew his hands acrossed the fabric of Veshya’s sari as Carter and Kabir undid their pants. As Issac’s hands moved to explore the soft skin beneath the clothing, Kabir began touching Veshya in the spot where the most pain came from. At this point he would have liked to lay his head back so he wouldn’t have to watch, but Carter had other ideas.  
Veshya was told to touch Carter and he did so with one hand the best he could. It was a good distraction from Kabir who seemed to be putting his fingers into his bum. By the time Carter was hard, Kabir had already begun to enter Veshya. He gritted his teeth and prepared for agony but the pain was surprisingly much more bearable than the last two times had been. He looked at the man in surprise. Kabir reached forward and brushed the side of Veshya’s face with the back of his hand before placing the boy’s legs around his waist, pushing in until he had completely entered him.  
Veshya was rocked forward and back as he continued to work on pleasing Carter. Issac had become bored with simply touching the boy and grabbed his left hand, guiding it to where he really wanted to be felt. With his focus on Issac and Carter, Veshya barely noticed any pain associated with Kabir. The groans and moans which filled the room told him he was moving correctly and he tried to ensure he received a continuous stream of both, focusing on nothing but satisfying the three men. He was feeling hopeful as so far it hadn’t caused him much pain and he kept his attention away from the bottom of his body.  
A few minutes later the men switched positions and he found the new man, Issac, between his legs while the other two found their pleasure in his hands. Although he had never done this before, he generally understood that the better he did, the sooner the men would finish. He wasn’t sure if the men would just leave once they were satisfied but still did his best to fulfill their desires as soon as possible. Even if they had finished, or, as Veshya perceived it, released their fluid inside of him, but weren’t completely done, maybe they would be more gentle with him. Although he had never experienced it before, he had a general understanding that taking multiple men in one session would leave him in more pain.  
After a few minutes, Carter rapidly increased his pace which shot temporary pain through Veshya. He closed his eyes with a quiet whimper and forgot about Issac and Kabir for a few seconds. Carter pulled on the boy’s hair with a final sharp thrust of his hips and let out a groan with his eyes shut.  
Veshya kept his eyes shut until he was ordered to continue using his hands. After that, the men continued to switch positions until each of them had had their way with him. A dull ache had begun to fill Veshya who stayed silent, hoping for the men to leave before it got worse. At least he did until he found himself lying on his stomach as Carter pounded him into the bed roughly. The other two men were pleasing themselves as they watched.  
“Please, stop.” Veshya choked out but no one heard him.  
The pressure was too much and he could barely breathe. He tried to push himself up but Carter’s fingers dug into his waist and forced the boy to remain in a position which left Veshya helpless. He twisted his body and tried to push Carter off of him but the man just switched his grip from the boy’s waist to his wrists. Veshya tried to stop himself but the tears in his eyes fell onto the bed sheets anyways. He turned his head to the side to get some air and was horrified to see that Issac had gotten much closer. Even worse, the man was positioning his crotch in front of Veshya’s face. His tears stopped as the pain was replaced with surprise.  
The stunned look on the boy’s face was too much and the man found his release the second time that night. Veshya’s wide eyes and open mouth provided the perfect placement for the man’s fluid. By the time Veshya closed his eyes and mouth, the substance had covered much of his face. He spat onto the sheets and rubbed his face to try and remove the foulness but his head was turned the other direction, allowing Kabir to complete the same action with several grunts. This time Veshya’s eyes and mouth were closed but he still flinched when the man’s release fell across his face in streaks.  
His wrists were released as Carter pulled out of the boy’s hole just soon enough to finish across the curve of Veshya’s back.  
For several seconds, Veshya laid there tensely, listening to the heavy pants of the three men. He had stopped crying as he waited, looking for any sign that the men were going to start using him again.  
“You didn’t lie.” Issac spoke first breathlessly. “He is tight.”  
Kabir chuckled. “Never had one as pretty as him before.” He agreed  
Carter told the other two something with a smirk on his face which made everyone laugh as they began to put their pants back on.  
Veshya slowly turned onto his side and curled in on himself, facing the men but saying nothing.  
After the men left with individual promises to be back, Veshya spent several minutes laying there. He didn’t want to wait for someone to come kick him out so he slid off the bed slowly and limped outside to clean himself off.  
When he entered the building again he moved for the floor to continue working but Ishani surprised him.  
“You earned me a bit of money there. Go on upstairs, there’s some extra food for you.”  
Veshya gave a grateful nod and returned to the sleeping quarters, surprised to find that not only was there food, but a sleeping mat as well. The food was still hot, steaming rice, beans, and even a bit of chicken. He ate the food and changed into his tunic before laying down on the mat. He was relieved the night was over and it hadn’t gone as poorly as he had expected.   
Maybe this would work out after all.


	8. Chapter 8

“What does it do?” Veshya asked the man, turning the pill over in his fingers.  
The man gave him a smile and put his own hands around the boy’s closing them around the pill. “Tell me Veshya, have you ever enjoyed the work you do?”  
Veshya almost shook his head but caught himself. He tried to come up with an answer which he thought would please the man but was too slow.  
“That’s what I thought.” The man said and released the boy’s hands.” This little tablet will make you enjoy your work very much, and in turn, it will make both you, and your customers very happy.”  
Veshya looked down at his hands and back at the man again. “Do I just eat it?” He asked.  
The man nodded. “Swallow it.” He patted Veshya on the side of his arm and glanced to either side of Veshya at the other workers. Someone caught his eye and he began to move towards them, calling back to Veshya. “I’ll be back in thirty minutes.”  
Veshya watched the man leave before opening his hand and looking at the tablet sitting there. It was light orange and looked a bit grainy. He wondered how something so light could possibly do everything the man had said. If it was true, then this could help him secure his position as a worker for Ishani.  
He placed the pill on his tongue before closing his mouth and swallowing it. For a few minutes he stood where he was, waiting for the effect to kick in but was disappointed when nothing happened. With a sigh, Veshya decided he would move inside to try and find a customer.  
Despite the success of his last three customers, no one had had any interest in him in the days that preceded besides the man who had given him the pill. The man had said he would be back but Veshya wasn’t sure if the man had intended on using his body. If he had, hopefully he wouldn’t be upset that the pill hadn’t worked.  
After a few minutes, Nasrin appeared. “I just spoke to the Malkin.” She told him gravely.  
Veshya stared at her, waiting expectantly.  
“Pita will be here tomorrow.”  
Veshya was silent and Nasrin watched his face carefully. It took several seconds for the boy to process the news. He realized what was going to happen to him tomorrow. Pita would take him away to somewhere he would never return from. He would probably die there.  
“Oh.” Veshya finally said.  
“You can head upstairs now. There’s no point in you staying down here.” Nasrin told him.  
Veshya considered that before shaking his head. “I have someone coming for me soon.”  
Nasrin scowlled. “It won’t make a difference, it’s too late.”  
“That’s okay.”  
Veshya felt surprisingly calm. Despite the doom looming over the prospect of tomorrow, he didn’t feel any sense of danger. Nasrin was frowning at him and he felt the sudden urge to hug her. She looked upset. He stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her, feeling her stiffen before pushing him back.  
“What the hell is wrong with you?” She snapped, but she looked more confused than angry.  
“I’m sorry, I just wanted to make you feel better.” Veshya told her, pouting until he spotted someone from the corner of his eye.  
Veshya waved at the man who caught the movement and walked in their direction.  
“You’re back!” Veshya exclaimed and moved for the man but Nasrin caught his wrist.  
“What did he give you?” She demanded.  
Veshya opened his mouth to speak but the man beat him to it. “The same thing everyone here uses.” He told her with a smile that didn’t meet his eyes.  
“He’s sixteen.” Nasrin hissed but the man just laughed.  
“You had it for the first time when you were fifteen if I remember correctly.”  
Nasrin’s grip tightened on Veshya. “And there’s a reason I no longer use it.”  
Veshya wasn’t completely following but his wrist hurt from Nasrin’s tight grip.  
“Please let me go.” He asked quietly and Nasrin snapped her gaze to him before doing so.  
Veshya rubbed his wrist as the man continued. “I’ve paid for twenty minutes with him. Now I’m going to go spend twenty minutes with him.”  
“It’s okay.” Veshya tried to reassure Nasrin but could feel her staring as the man guided him up the stairs.  
When they were in a room, Veshya climbed up onto the bed and began to take his clothes off.  
“Let me.” The man told him and Veshya watched in fascination as his hands slipped under the boy’s fabrics, pulling them over his head gently. Everywhere the man’s fingers touched tingled and Veshya was surprised to find that he wasn’t scared at all. Even when the man took his pants off and began preparing to enter him, Veshya felt okay. This man wasn’t going to hurt him.  
“How do you feel?” The man asked breathlessly once he had entered Veshya.  
“I feel… okay.”  
“Are you in any pain?”  
Veshya shook his head in wonder. “No.”  
The man smiled. “Good.”  
The next fifteen minutes, Veshya felt his attraction to the man growing. As the man thrusted in and out of the boy’s body and whispered appreciations, Veshya wished he could spend the rest of the night right here. His body was reacting to the man’s touches like nothing ever before. His nipples were sensitive as the man brushed his fingers over them, giving each one a couple licks. Veshya closed his eyes, tracing his own fingers over his belly, trying to feel more. A sudden wave of pleasure coursed through his body and his eyes shot open, finding the man’s hand around his dick. He had never been touched there before, even by himself and felt a moan slip past his lips.  
“Yeah does that feel good?” The man groaned.  
“Uh-huh.” Veshya whimpered, placing his hands around the man’s to keep him there.  
The man thrusted hard but even as Veshya felt his body being pushed into, all he could focus on were the other sensations completely immersing him in pleasure.  
“Do you like being touched as I pound my big fat cock into your tight little hole?”  
“I do.” Veshya whispered and the man took his hand up and down Veshya’s dripping length.  
Something was building inside of Veshya and he let out moan after moan. “More, more, more. Please more!”  
The man obliged, pounding into Veshya’s body as one hand moved up and down Veshya while the other laid on his chest, teasing the boy’s right nipple between his thumb and forefinger.  
With a final gasp, Veshya felt his dick pulse as his own chest was covered in white fluid. As he laid there, breathing heavily as he recovered, the man picked up his pace and after several deep thrusts, he finished with a groan.  
When the man pulled out of Veshya, the boy felt the need to have the man’s body over his to make up for the loss of contact. The man laid over the side of the boy’s body, avoiding the parts of him which were covered. He was much bigger than Veshya and his weight was a comfort.  
After a minute of heavy breathing, the man chuckled.  
“So I’ll ask you again, have you ever enjoyed your work?”  
Veshya shifted so he could look at the man.  
“I’ve never felt this good before.”  
Veshya was disappointed that the man wouldn’t pay for more time with him. The man promised he visited often but Veshya wanted him now. The man put his pants back on and Veshya stood to follow him out the door but a wave of dizziness brought him to his knees. The impact jostled his vision more and he stayed down on his hands and knees as the man came to his side.  
“Are you alright there?” He asked gently and Veshya laughed breathlessly, lifting his hands which swayed side to side.  
“The room is full of water.” He told the man who raised an eyebrow.  
“Looks like your body is a bit sensitive to the dose I gave you.” The man lifted Veshya to his feet. The boy moaned at the contact and his head rolled to the side, feeling too heavy to lift.  
Veshya’s vision only got worse but he didn’t realize it as his mind was completely unattached to his body. By the time the man had helped Veshya out the room, the boy remembered nothing.  
Time morphed and he became vaguely aware of someone speaking to him and a pressure in his lower half. Someone touched his dick and the pressure left him as the speaking turned to shouting. He was being hit but it felt as if there was a thick layer of bedding between him and whoever was angry. He lifted his arms and covered his face half-heartedly until he was completely encased in darkness.


	9. Chapter 9

Veshya woke with a groan and reached his hand up to his head. There was a throbbing pressure in the back of his skull and his body felt sore. Rather than the pains which came the day after having a customer, Veshya was familiar with this pain as the result of being beaten. When he was with Ishwar, the man would often leave the boy covered in bruises and cuts which would have stood out even on his dark skin if not for the dirt that coated his body.  
Unable to open his eyes against the light due to the pain in his head, Veshya would have feared that he was back in the hands of his step-father if he couldn’t feel the mat he was lying on. He had been given no such luxury in the animal pen he used to sleep in and this told him he was safe in the sleeping quarters. Except he had no idea why he was hurt.  
Once the light no longer felt as if it was burning through his eyelids into his head, Veshya slowly opened one of them. Blinking at the closest window in the room through his narrowed eye, Veshya could tell it wasn’t as late in the day as the intensity of the brightness had first made him assume. Most women were still sleeping but a few must have gotten up early as their beds were empty, including Nasrin’s.  
Looking down at his body, Veshya saw that he was naked and had several dark bruises on his stomach and right side. The skin over the marks was raised slightly and a slight touch by his fingers told him that they were still extremely tender. Taking his hands over his legs and arms, Veshya found no other bruises but when he turned his head to the side to try and look over his shoulder at his back, he felt an ache in his jaw. The pain was isolated to a small area on the edge of his right jaw and opening his mouth made it worse. Overall his injuries weren’t that bad considering what he was used to. No broken bones, or blood.  
Veshya stood carefully and grabbed the first article of clothing he could find as his normal tunic was nowhere in sight. The dark orange lehenga was large and brushed against the floor as he left the room, peeking into every room he passed with no sign of Nasrin. Once he was at the top of the stairs he spotted her just as she finished speaking to Ishani. The older woman remained where she was as Nasrin moved to go upstairs.  
“Nasrin, what happened last night?” Veshya asked when she was at the top of the stairs.  
Nasrin stopped just long enough to give Veshya a cold stare.  
“You ruined your chance.” She told him and kept walking.  
Veshya moved after her. “How? I don’t remember anything.”  
Nasrin gave a mirthless laugh and looked over her shoulder at him. “You don’t remember accepting drugs from Qasim even though I told you they weren’t for you?”  
“But he said they would help me make customers happy.” Veshya protested quietly. “And… I remember that part, but I started feeling funny and I don’t know what happened afterwards.”  
Nasrin turned around without warning and Veshya barely managed to stop himself from running into her.  
“What happened afterwards is you threw yourself at one of our most important clients. He came in looking for a girl and somehow you made it into his room. After he found out, he took it out on you and left without getting his money back. You completely fucked yourself over.”  
Nasrin pivoted sharply, entering the sleeping quarters with Veshya trailing behind.  
“You all have ten minutes to make yourselves presentable and be downstairs.” She announced loudly and after a few seconds of rustling and groans, the room slowly sprung into action.  
Satisfied her order was being carried out, Nasrin gave Veshya a glare. “Same goes for you. Consider these your last minutes here.” With that, she left.  
Veshya watched her go, wanting to ask her more questions but finding that he was unable to move. It hadn’t really hit him yet. Feeling numb, he found a comb and brushed his hair out. At the prompting of one of the women who told him what he was wearing did not fit, he changed. Sifting through the drawers of fabrics he found the aqua sari Nasrin had made him wear for the first customer he had, Carter. He wrapped the sari over his shoulder and tied it at his right hip as he had been taught.  
He glanced briefly at the jewelry but left the room, heading downstairs. The reception area was filled with the women who had finished and yet it was quiet. Veshya looked over the room and paused on the door which led to the streets outside. He should have tried running away sooner, he realized and began to weave between the women. Once he made it to the door he looked over his shoulder, trying to find Nasrin among all the other women but was unsuccessful. He pulled the door open, preparing to run but froze.  
“Ah… If you make it past me, there’s about five of my men who would love nothing more than the chance to play with a misbehaving slut.”  
It was Pita, it had to be with the terrifying aura which seemed to poison the very air Veshya was struggling to breathe. He wasn’t tall or muscular like Veshya had imagined, rather he was a bit on the shorter side and had a stomach which protruded from his suit jacket. His hair was short and gelled back from an oval face with a decently defined jaw and cheekbones and unsmiling mouth.   
However, it was his eyes that told Veshya he was a very dangerous man.. Veshya had been around plenty of men whose eyes were filled with something which told him to not even try to get them to be a customer for him. The women they chose always turned up later bleeding or unconscious. Carter had the same thing in his eyes when he tried to force Veshya outside in the courtyard and now Veshya could identify what filled Pita’s eyes as being utter cruelty.  
“I- uh. Sorry- I was just- uh- opening the door for you?”  
The man stared at him with no expression save the raise of his eyebrows. “Get back inside.”  
Veshya nodded a few times, wanting nothing more than to put distance between himself and this man. He returned to the reception to stand with the women whose quiet whispering died out completely once Pita entered the room.  
Ishani greeted Pita with the closest thing to excitement Veshya had ever seen on the woman’s face.  
“Let’s get started then.” Pita said, his voice filling the building. It was as if everyone outside on the streets could sense the need for silence. “You mentioned there was someone you specifically wanted me to look at, bring her here.”  
Ishani looked around the room. “Ah yes. Well actually it’s a boy.”  
Pita’s eyes glittered with interest and Veshya felt sick.  
“Where are you Veshya?” Ishani asked impatiently and the boy stepped forward hesitantly.  
Pita looked him over, “I’ve already met this one.” he told Ishani who was surprised. “He was trying to leave as I came in.”  
Ishani glowered at Veshya who found it impossible to look up further than the shoulders of her and Pita.  
“That’s the second time he’s done something he wasn’t supposed to do in the last day.” Ishani informed Pita who gave a slight smirk.  
“Trust me, Lord Tarum told me all about his experience with him.”  
Veshya felt any slight hope leave him. He couldn’t even remember what he had done. All he had were his injuries and Nasrin’s recount of the events. The man had given him too much of whatever the pill was and Veshya had acted completely against his own knowledge. If he hadn’t taken that pill, perhaps he wouldn’t be in this situation. It would be better to walk outside now and be shot instead of waiting for Pita to try and satiate the cruelty in his eyes. Veshya could feel his own eyes beginning to water and he tried desperately to stop his legs from shaking but couldn’t manage it.  
“Never once in his life has Tarum thought that there was anything better than a tight body with a wet pussy. And there was never a need to even consider that there would be someone here who couldn’t offer what he was looking for.” Pita paused.  
Veshya couldn’t stop the tears from falling at this point. He stood quivering, unable to form words, not that he would be able to get them past his trembling lips anyways.  
“Tarum found you offered more.”  
Veshya flinched, confused.  
“In his own words, your tight ass felt better than anything he’s had before. And you can handle a few kicks and punches as well.”   
Veshya had stopped shaking, completely startled, and looked up at Pita. Ishani looked just as stunned as Veshya felt.  
“But… Lord Tarum left in such a rush, I thought he…” Ishani trailed off.  
Pita shrugged. “It was probably a shock. Most people don’t know what they like. After a nice beating and a couple of drinks to calm him down, well, he found something new to try.” He turned to Ishani. “He won’t be coming with me today. But I’ll still take a look at the others.”  
Veshya didn’t hear the conversation continue. He fell to his knees. He couldn’t believe it. Veshya had been completely sure he was going to be dead by the end of the day. The second Pita identified him as not only being the one who had just tried to escape, but had also sent a customer into a rage, he thought he was done for. His body was sore from said rage but he embraced it fully, feeling the pain as a reminder that what he had been through may have actually helped him.  
Hands reached under his armpits and Veshya was pulled to his feet. He jerked his head over his shoulder, panicked that he was being taken anyways but calmed at the sight of Nasrin’s face. Maybe it was because there was such a contrast between her and Pita, but Veshya noticed for the first time that despite how irritable and impatient she seemed to always be with him, there was no cruelty in her eyes.  
She didn’t quite look happy, but her eyes were wide and she whispered to him “How the fuck did you get out of that alive?”  
Veshya shook his head and tried to stand but found he still felt a bit weak. His knees buckled but Nasrin caught him before he fell. “I’ve got you sprat.”


	10. Chapter 10

They were among the other women and Veshya felt much safer now that he was no longer awaiting his fate. Pita walked around the room clockwise, surveying each woman and Ishani followed, answering any questions he had. There were between forty and fifty women in total and as Ishani and him were standing with the women who would be looked at last, Veshya had several minutes to fully grasp the fact that he was going to be okay. He finally managed to stand on his own and after giving Nasrin a thankful nod which she returned with her own, Veshya watched Pita.  
“What’s he doing?” He whispered to Nasrin.  
“Picking out the women he’s going to take with him. Anyone too old, weak, sick, or ugly.” Nasrin told him and then added, “Or anyone he wants to take just for fun.”  
The first woman who was chosen had acquired enough small cuts and welts on her face that it was deemed she wouldn’t be able to bring in as much money. The woman was dragged away screaming by two men who had been standing near the entrance. None of the other women tried to reach out to her or help, they simply lowered their heads and shifted silently, hoping they wouldn’t be next. Six more were taken before Pita came to stand in front of the group of women Veshya was with. If Pita took Nasrin as well, Veshya wouldn’t be able to survive this place. Luckily he didn’t so much as glance at her and nod before looking at the others.  
He spoke quietly to Ishani for a few minutes before leaving. Once he was out the door, everyone seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief and slowly begin to talk again, moving back upstairs to get some more rest before the work night began.  
“Not all brothels are like this one.” Nasrin told Veshya quietly. “In other countries, people who have work like me are actually protected.”  
“How do you know that?” Veshya asked.  
“A woman who was taken years ago told me of a place called Antwerp. No customer or Malkin can force you to do anything you don’t want and you earn enough money to live like a noble.”  
That sounded like a fantasy to Veshya but he had seen little of the world and he believed Nasrin. “Then why don’t you leave?”  
“When Yagnesh took you from your parents, did he offer them money?” Nasrin questioned, already knowing the answer.  
“He did.” Veshya told her and Nasrin nodded.  
“That money is now your debt to pay off. Most of the money from each customer goes to the Malkin but you have to use the small portion you are given if you want to pay off the debt.”  
Veshya furrowed his brows. “If you’ve been here for over ten years, how have you not paid it off?”  
Nasrin gave Veshya a look, “Most women spend what little money they get on the products Qasim offers. Like what he gave you last night. He waits for the new ones to have a few customers before giving them something that makes the pain and fear go away. First one is free, then he starts charging. Qasim pays Ishani a portion of the income to be able to sell here. I spent half a decade’s worth of money on drugs and now I have to spend most of that money on other products to hide the effects of using. It makes many women violent, or ruins their face like the first one Pita took.”  
Veshya took all the information in, finding the situation to be more messed up the longer he thought about it. “So you work here to pay off a debt which you didn’t choose.” He clarified.  
Nasrin nodded darkly. “Many women have no choice but to work in a place like this. They have kids to feed and the only way to make money is selling their body, leading to more kids.”  
Veshya quirked his head to the side noticing for the first time that there were no kids here. “Why do none of the women here have kids?”  
“Pita takes the pregnant ones.”  
With that, Nasrin moved upstairs and Veshya followed, finding that he wasn’t sure how happy he should be to be stuck here.   
He continued to have extra work, cleaning the building alongside having customers which led to exhausting work days. Nasrin taught him how to do his hair and makeup as well as how to put clothes together. He wore a veil over his face to hide the bruise on his jaw that Tarum had given him and found that it helped him attract customers. He dressed himself in a way to hide that he was male but this often led to angry customers and violence so Ishani came up with a way to tell customers he was not a girl without ruining the illusion.  
He was pinned down by a man as another pierced his skin, tattooing his name, Veshya, (वेश्या) above his collarbone in black ink, large enough that it was easy enough to see on his dark skin. He had struggled and cried during the first few minutes but slowly relented after being warned that if his moving ruined the tattoo they would skin him.  
His skin burned for several days and itched for many more after that but Nasrin warned Veshya that Ishani would have his fingers broken if he scratched the tattoo so he did his best to ignore the mark.  
Veshya found himself becoming familiar with a few customers besides Carter, Kabir, and Issac. He also became familiar with what customers were looking for and how to make it less painful for himself. Most customers did not seek him out when he was at the front of the building, rather they would speak directly to Ishani or Nasrin who would then tell Veshya to find a room and the man would follow. Nasin explained to him that this was because it was shameful for a man to be attracted to another man. Veshya asked why he took male customers then and Nasrin had told him that it all came down to making money.  
And being the only male worker at the brothel, although it had many drawbacks as the women didn’t have the same challenges Veshya faced, also meant Veshya began to bring in quite a bit of money. When Ishani first handed him the pieces of paper and some coins, he had been confused but this was quickly replaced by excitement when he realized that he had just received money for the first time in his life. He hid it under the mat he slept on, unsure on what he should spend it on.  
One day when he was at the front of the building, Veshya spotted Qasim, the one Nasrin had said sold drugs to the women.   
“Hello there Veshya.”  
Veshya glared and turned away, to which the man smiled sheepishly. “Ah yes I suppose I should apologize for the dose I gave you.” He paused before considering. “Although, I heard it actually helped you secure a position with Malkin Ishani.”  
Veshya looked up at Qasim, “What do you want?”  
Qasim held out a small coin purse to Veshya who eyed it suspiciously.  
“Consider this to be you forgiving me for an honest mistake.” Qasim told him. “This one isn’t as strong.”  
Veshya took the coin purse and opened it, finding a single pill inside. “Nasrin told me you only give the first one free.”  
Qasim nodded. “That’s true, I usually don’t. But most people in your… occupation, don’t get a lot of chances to feel good. All I’m doing is offering a moment, or several hours worth, where you can feel good.” Qasim leaned forward. “Or have you already forgotten how good you felt with me?”  
Veshya took a step back, hoping the veil over the bottom-half of his face hid the flush of his skin.  
“If you want time with me you still have to pay” he mumbled.  
Qasim straightened himself out. “No time tonight. I hear you’re doing well enough that you don’t even need my customership.”  
When he left, Veshya glanced at the pill in the small purse before closing it, when he looked up, there was another man in front of him.  
“Hey Veshya.” He said, “Are you hungry?”  
Veshya nodded slightly and the man grinned. “Let me take you to get some food, would you like that?”  
Veshya looked around nervously, unsure if this was a common occurrence as he hadn’t seen it happen before. “How long will it take?” He asked the man shyly.  
His grin widened. “I know a good place just around the corner.” He offered his hand and Veshya took it cautiously.  
They walked down the street and Veshya couldn’t help feeling excited over the sight of buildings, carts, and groups of people he hadn’t seen before. He had never ventured away from the building and had practically memorized every detail of the street he could see from the front of it or the windows of the second floor. The smell of food was tantalizingly ever-present and even though Veshya was happy to get two meals a day, he would love to try some of the food he saw passerbys eat.  
The man said nothing as they walked down the street, Veshya’s wide eyes trying to take in everything he saw. An arm around his shoulder guided him to turn and Veshya found himself in a narrow street with no lights. He tried to stop, sensing immediately that this did not feel right, but the man continued to push him forward with one arm.  
“No wait! Please I want to go back!” Veshya protested, trying to twist out of the man’s grip. He was pushed away from the man, further down the alley and felt someone else grab him.  
“Not until we have our fun, Veshya.”  
The boy turned and when he spotted the seven other men hiding in the shadows of the street, his terror was strong enough to silence him.  
He was pushed to his knees and a man lifted his veil just enough to press his cock into Veshya’s mouth. He flinched, confused and still shocked, making a few men chuckle.  
“Aw is it your first time?” One taunted.  
“Don’t worry, we’ll teach you for free.” The one above him said, pushing further into his mouth until the boy choked.  
Veshya’s eyes darted everywhere as if searching in vain for a way to escape. He pressed his hands against the man’s legs, trying to scoot backwards but was quickly subdued by the others. One on each side and another behind him, lifting up the sari to reveal his backside. Veshya could hardly focus on the man in front of him, let alone the two at his sides. He couldn’t even take deep breaths to manage the pain of the man behind him pressing inside his hole in a rush. The pain seared up his spine and he had to use every bit of his willpower to not squeeze his hands too hard.  
Tears fell down his cheeks, landing on the cock in his mouth and he could taste the saltiness of them. Those who weren’t using him at the moment stood by, throwing out insults and lewd comments which blurred into a haze of shame that engulfed Veshya.  
“Fucking slut, take that dick.”  
“He loves it, just look at his face.”  
“Come on, you can do better Veshya.”  
The pain was intense as either man fucking his hole and mouth took to a brutal pace that Veshya was sure was shredding his knees as the ground dug into them. He felt a bit of fabric on the side of his knee and he assumed it was the fabric of his sari until he remembered the pill Qasim had given him just minutes before this began. A desperate hope for the pill filled him as he sobbed in pain. He couldn’t tilt his head to see if it was the coin purse he felt so Veshya had to wait for one of his hands to be free.  
As one man finished, another would take his place so Veshya only had a few seconds to grab the small container. But when his fingers grasped it and felt inside, he found it was empty.  
There was a wetness trickling out of his ass after taking several men and he couldn’t tell if it was blood or cum. He hoped it was blood so he would pass out.  
By the time his body had been used enough and no one was supporting his front with a cock in his mouth, Veshya had gone almost completely still. An hour after the start of the attack his crying and protesting had died off and another hour later the only signs he was alive were his slight shuddering breaths and the glazy gaze of his eyes which were frozen open, unseeing.  
His ass was given a final hard smack which didn’t even make him flinch. Veshya laid splayed out on his stomach. He only slowly gained sensation and thought when he realized he could no longer hear the men’s laughter. His vision was blurry but he could see he was alone. After several minutes, Veshya began to struggle to his feet. The only reason he didn’t stay where he was and sleep until someone found him was that he didn’t want another group of men to be the ones who did.  
Veshya cried out as he moved his legs. His violated body was screaming in protest over every movement which jostled his torn muscles, bruised skin, and sore bones. Even making noise hurt. His jaw ached horribly and the need for water to soothe his throat was strong.  
As he pushed himself to his feet, he noticed something on the ground. He picked it up and brought it to his face to see what it was. He was too numb to feel regret that the pill had been right next to him the whole time. His sari had been torn and he had to hold it together with trembling hands to cover his body. His veil had been thrown to the side and he picked it up, using it to cover his collarbone, covering up the tattooed characters that he couldn’t even read.  
He exited the alley and, with nowhere else to go, limped slowly back to the brothel, gripping the coin purse in one hand as he held his clothes together.


	11. Chapter 11

“You’re a fucking idiot!” Ishani added a slap across Veshya’s face to make her point. “I don’t care if it’s the goddamn president, you don’t go with anyone unless they pay first.”  
Veshya clenched his fists, looking down at the floor. “Yes Malkin.” He whispered.  
“Consider your next few earnings to be payment.”  
With that, Ishani turned around, a clear signal for Veshya to leave. He didn’t bother protesting the absurd punishment of paying Ishani for being attacked as he had. His body hurt too much and all he wanted was to sleep. Instead, he slowly climbed the stairs and returned to the sleeping room. Nasrin was in there and when she heard Veshya enter, she looked up from the drawers of clothing she had been looking through.  
“You look just like I expected you to after seeing you run off with that man.”  
Veshya stopped and stared at her. “You didn’t warn me.”  
“It’s not my job to baby you.” She turned her back to him, rummaging through another shelf.  
“Then what is your job?” Veshya demanded, he was just as startled as Nasrin was by the tone of his voice.  
His glaring gaze faltered when Nasrin met his eyes. “To teach.” She told him simply. “I’ve had enough exposure to naivety to know that experience is the best way to learn.”  
Veshya said nothing, walking to his mat and easing himself down onto it gently. He didn’t bother trying to clean himself off or change. He laid there in silence, wondering if Nasrin had left the room or if she was still standing where he left her. He picked up the coin purse from Qasim and held the pill between his fingers, examining it. Surely even what had happened with Tarum was better than what he had just experienced. He would rather have no memory of an incident and be in pain than have every pain in his body act as a reminder of the incident.  
He heard someone enter the room and guessed they were switching out their clothes but was surprised when he heard the person kneel beside him. He turned his head and saw that it was Nasrin who had a bucket of water and some clean rags. Without a word, she dipped a rag in the water and brought it to Veshya’s shoulder. He closed his eyes, half expecting her to now punish him with a harsh scrub down and a scolding about getting the mat dirty. Instead, she rubbed the rag in slow circles, moving down his arm.  
Veshya didn’t think she had ever been this gentle and found himself relaxing bit by bit. Nasrin helped take off his ruined clothes and worked silently to wash his whole body, being surprisingly careful in the places that hurt the most. By the time she got his normal tunic over his head, Veshya had fallen asleep, so she left to get back to work.  
Veshya was not given a break the next day, not that he had expected to. It was the weekend and Ishani quickly let him know that his punishment was not just losing money, it was extra work as well. The aching in his body was not a worthy excuse as he was demanded to wake up early and clean up the rooms, which took several hours, before helping cook meals for everyone. This task was new to him but it was also much easier as it required less physical effort and the woman in charge was nice to him.  
As soon as cooking was finished, Veshya ate his food fast and had to get dressed. He put on an embroidered blue and silver lehenga, brushed out his hair which was now almost long enough to reach his mid-chest, put on silver jewelry and a dark blue veil, and moved downstairs. He decided that because his body was still in pain and as it was the weekend he would probably have more customers than usual, that this constituted a good enough time to use the pill Qasim had given him.  
And he was glad he did.  
The men from the alley had enjoyed him so much that word had spread to others who had the same tastes. His first customer enjoyed himself by restraining Veshya with ropes, ensuring that he was unable to close his legs or use his hands to try and defend himself. He first fucked his mouth and Veshya had no ability to escape the man in order to breathe so he was forced to take him as deep as the man forced himself. Veshya could have sworn his throat was bruised and bleeding by then but his customer was not satisfied until he had taken his other hole as well.  
The man enjoyed slapping the boy across his face, strong enough that it stung, but controlled enough to not leave bruises. A skill which must have come from years of practice. When the man finished, he untied Veshya and left without a word.  
It only took the time to walk downstairs before Veshya had someone else and he had many more that night. He was pushed, pulled, and prodded into different positions with varying degrees of intensity and violence. One man had complained that after previously using Veshya twice, he was bored and wanted a new boy. He took out his frustration by making Veshya cover his face completely and choking him. Some didn’t speak a word to him the entire time, others only to give orders, whisper lewd promises and insults into his ear, or to chastise him. Kabir, who also used him, was the only exception. The man spoke to Veshya almost kindly, complimenting his body, the way he moved and how he pleased him.  
“Your name suits you.” Kabir groaned as Veshya rode him. It was a new position but he found he liked how he was in control of the pace and could move in a way which wasn’t too uncomfortable.  
“My name? Why?” Veshya had grown less fond of having a name as it had been used to give orders and tattooed on his collarbone.  
“Because you make me feel so good.” Kabir grabbed the boy’s rolling hips which made him gasp.   
Veshya hadn’t felt quite as good with any others as he had his first time with Qasim, but his body still found sparks of pleasure which helped distract from the pain. Unintentional brushes over his skin sent tingles through him and he found himself leaning into touch. That is, when the touch wasn’t meant to cause him pain and discomfort.  
Towards the end of the night, Veshya’s calm began to fade. The level of pain he was in had stayed the same throughout, but he had been able to stay relatively relaxed throughout it. Now however, alongside the pain of the night no longer being manageable, he also had a mild headache and nausea. He cleaned himself off and went to his bed without eating but despite the mental exhaustion and desire to sleep so he could no longer be in pain, an hour passed after the room had been filled completely and he was still awake. He finally managed to fall asleep after another hour or two of trying to not throw up and he had no loss of memory this time.  
“Nasrin, do names have meanings?” He asked the next day while they were cleaning themselves off outside.  
“Of course.” Nasrin said, stretching her back.  
“What does your name mean?”  
Nasrin began to wash her face. “Thorned flower or something.”  
She brought a few handfuls of water over her face before she looked up and then glared at Veshya. “What’re you smiling about?”  
Veshya tried to hide his grin. “Nothing. It just suits you I think.”  
Nasrin looked at him suspiciously.  
“Do you know what my name means?” Veshya asked quickly to distract her and got his hair wet.  
There was an almost imperceptible stiffening in her shoulders before she answered. “I’ve told you, a sprat is a kind of fish. Small, gray, probably a slow learner.”  
The boy laughed. “No, I mean Veshya. I was told the name fits me.”  
“I don’t know what it means.”  
Veshya shrugged. “Okay… Why do you call me sprat?”  
“It fits you better.” Nasrin told him which made the boy smile, continuing to wash out his hair.  
“I don’t even know how to swim.” He told her and Nasrin looked at him drolly.  
“Then you are a very, very slow learning fish.”  
They finished bathing and Veshya began to dry himself off when he paused.  
“You said sprat fits me better.” He turned to Nasrin who rolled her eyes.  
“Why are we still talking about this?”  
“Why would you think it fits me better if you don’t know what Veshya means?”  
Nasrin kept drying herself off. “It sounds better.”  
Veshya raised his eyebrows. “Sprat sounds better?”  
Nasrin glanced at him and nodded. “I’m never the biggest fan of the names Yagnesh chooses for those he brings here.”  
Veshya looked at her closely. “Tell me what Veshya means.”  
Nasrin hesitated. “I already told you I don’t-”  
“I’ve watched you talk to men enough to know when you are lying, Nasrin.”  
She sighed and began to put on the clean clothes she had brought with her. “It will only upset you more but I’ll tell you if you’re sure you want to know.”  
Veshya gave her a firm nod and Nasrin pursed her lips in thought before telling him.  
“Veshya isn’t actually a name, at least not in the sense that you are given it at birth. Veshya is what some people refer to us as because of our job. A Veshya is just a prostitute or hooker.”  
Veshya stared at Nasrin. Now it made sense why his name was used against him like a weapon. His name conveyed to customers that he was nothing beyond someone there to serve his body for bits of money. Which might actually be true, Veshya realized. He didn’t exist as anyone outside of this job. But if people wanted to use his body, why was he shamed and beaten for providing it?  
Veshya looked up at Nasrin slowly. “I think I like sprat more.”  
Nasrin gave him something between a scoff and a snort. “Well then get dressed sprat and we can go get something to eat.”


	12. Chapter 12

“You’ve become too skinny.” Nasrin told Veshya after almost two months had passed since Pita had left.  
He had been changing from his tunic into one of the many variations of aqua-colored clothes Ishani had made specifically for him. Had he known Nasrin was watching, he would have waited. He had noticed his own weight loss a while ago and had taken to changing either before or after everyone else to try and hide it.  
“I’ve always been skinny.” Veshya tried casually.  
Nasrin stepped up to him and pulled up the fabric of his sari despite his protests.  
“Not like this. Why aren’t you eating?”  
“I have been eating.” Veshya protested, trying to push her hands away but Nasrin shook her head.  
“If you had been, your ribs wouldn’t be about to poke through your skin.” Her finger jabbed into the skin beneath his ribcage.  
“Get your hands off me!” Veshya snapped, jerking away.  
Nasrin watched him closely for a few seconds. Veshya readied himself to get past her and out the room’s door in case she tried to grab his clothes again but instead she turned and walked away. Suspicious, Veshya followed her with his eyes as she walked to her bed. Then before he realized what she was going to do, she bent down and lifted up Veshya’s mat, revealing his secret. He rushed to her and snatched the coin purse from her hands.  
“That’s mine.”  
Nasrin raised her hand as if to slap Veshya. He flinched and Nasrin paused before forcing herself to relax, lowering her hand.  
“Since when?”  
“Since when what?”  
“Since when have you been poisoning your body with Qasim’s drugs?”  
Veshya fidgeted, wondering if there was any use in lying. “After the man tricked me with food.” He said finally.  
Nasrin gritted her teeth. “I’ve told you what happens to people who use that stuff.”  
Veshya couldn’t meet her eyes. “I know but it helps me.”  
“With what? Starving yourself?”  
“I’m not starving myself!”   
Nasrin looked at him critically. “No, you’re just trying to get to the point where you can count how many bones there are in the human body.”  
The two stood, Nasrin glaring at Veshya who finally spoke quietly. “It’s my money.”  
Nasrin through her hands in the air. “And what a way you are spending it.”  
Veshya clenched his fists and said nothing.  
“Well then, continue to replace food with drugs and I’m sure next time Pita comes here, he won’t have to take you away because you’ll be dead already.”  
A woman poked her head in the door, interrupting the argument. “Ishani wants you downstairs now Nasrin, he’s only a few minutes away.”  
The reminder of Pita’s return to the brothel made Nasrin groan and she followed after the woman. “We aren’t done here.” She told Veshya who was quickly getting his clothes and jewelry situated.  
Just like last time, everyone was gathered quietly downstairs. Veshya wasn’t as nervous this time, in part because he knew he had earned his fair share, and also in part because whatever was currently floating around in his system blocked him from being anxious. When Pita entered the building, Veshya’s eyes followed him for a minute or so as he half-listened to his words but he soon became distracted, thinking of the fight.  
Ishani had decided over a month ago that food would no longer be provided for free to the workers. She told them she would take a smaller percent of the money earned and the women would have to pay for each meal. Of course no one could actually tell if the Malkin was taking less money from them, but no one dared argue. With the amount of customers Veshya had, he should have earned enough for food, but it seemed that every time he traded the paper money for more pills from Qasim, he only had enough for one meal’s worth a day. Veshya didn’t mind because he was rarely hungry anyways, but his customers were starting to notice.  
“I’ve heard you’ve become one of our most popular products. Among the lowest of men that is.”  
Veshya blinked, realizing that Pita was talking to him. He wasn’t sure how to reply appropriately so he gave a single stiff nod instead. He wasn’t sure if he would have been able to speak anyways, fear of Pita was apparently still able to permeate Veshya’s bubble of calm.  
“Keep it up.” Pita made the encouragement sound more like a threat.  
Veshya nodded again and was grateful when the man moved on. He continued around the room until he had looked at everyone. He took only five women with him this time, with minimal protests from the chosen victims.  
As soon as Pita left, Nasrin cornered Veshya to finish their talk.  
“Tell me why you take them.” Her hands were on her hips as she looked at him.  
“Because I… they make me feel good.” Veshya would have moved backward to put distance between him and Nasrin but he was up against the wall.  
Nasrin narrowed her eyes, thinking for a few seconds then seemed to come to a conclusion and her body relaxed.   
“They distract you from feeling pain.”  
Veshya gave a short nod.  
“Maybe you have zero pain tolerance... or it’s different for men.” Nasrin put her hand on Veshya’s shoulder and directed him upstairs. “Let’s find a way to make it hurt less.”  
Under the bunk she shared with two others there was enough room for each to store their personal items. Nasrin pulled out a small square plastic packet that contained a clear object surrounded by liquid.  
“If customers don’t use condoms, they can get someone pregnant or sick.”   
She explained how to put one on someone and what they did. Nasrin had to leave the building to get them and told him that if he liked them, she could get him some if he paid. She gave him a container of them to try, promising they would make the process less uncomfortable but Veshya looked at them doubtfully, wondering how they could help.  
And although Veshya might have lost a customer or two from trying to use the condoms, he found that they helped make it much smoother as the men entered him. He no longer woke up bleeding and in pain and although there was almost always an ache in his back and jaw, he got used to them. He also never saw the man who had taken him away with the promise of food and now knew better than to go with anyone who offered anything other than money.  
He had learned his lesson on that.  
After Nasrin found and consulted one of the few other male prostitutes nearby, Veshya had learned that he could use his own fingers to make sure that he wouldn’t be too tight for his customers. It completely changed his experience as he was now able to focus on pleasing the men instead of just lying there and trying not to scream or cry. He was also starting to get better at using his mouth without choking. Nasrin had taught him how to do it, stating that the pain practically disappeared when you knew what you were doing.  
Of course there were always the assholes who got off on other’s pain, something that Nasrin told Veshya was almost unavoidable.  
“You’ll eventually be able to tell within a few seconds whether or not someone is going to hurt you, and then you just have to avoid them.”  
But if Veshya was unable to avoid them, Nasrin reminded him to always protect his face. The men might come here to use the rest of his body but they wouldn’t want to if Veshya’s face was ruined from abuse or drugs. The only one that would want him after that was Pita.  
Veshya found over the course of the next month that his pain had lessened considerably. But he was still worried that if he didn’t take a pill before he started working and another one a few hours after he began, he would regret it. If he was tied up and fucked by three men, he wanted to be able to handle it and couldn’t wait the forty minutes for a pill to kick in.  
And one day, he wasn’t sure whether he had already taken one or not. He had a headache, whether it was from a lack of sleep, food, or both, he honestly didn’t care. What he cared about was making sure the night went smoothly. One extra pill wouldn’t matter, he thought to himself. He tilted the coin purse and shook it lightly until one of the small pale orange tablets fell into the palm of his hand before bringing it to his mouth. He returned the small bag to the hole in the side of his mat which he had torn in order to hide his possession.  
Veshya bathed and got dressed before fetching his first customer, a new man who, judging by his pale skin and hair, was a foreigner. He was taller than most of the customers Veshya had and he hoped the man wouldn’t be looking for a violent encounter. Like most people who came here for the first time, the man didn’t speak, even after they entered a room.  
Veshya could feel himself starting to relax thankfully which helped him get past the initial intimidation he felt from the man’s large stature. He released the man from his pants and fell to his knees quickly placing a condom on the man. Veshya took the tip of the man’s cock into his mouth, making the man gasp slightly, watching as Veshya bobbed his head back and forth, taking more of him in each time. Veshya found that he had to crane his head up a bit to reach towards the base of the man’s cock as it grew hard fast. He hollowed his cheeks to create enough pressure that the man began to subconsciously thrust his hips forward slightly to meet the boy’s mouth which took him in completely.  
Veshya looked up at the man the best he could throughout to gage what his preferences were. He still hadn’t spoken a word, the only sounds coming from the man were groans of pleasure, and his eyes were closed. As his large hands reached down and found Veshya’s hair, he was surprisingly gentle as he didn’t take control and suddenly start facefucking the boy. It only took a few minutes for the man to be fully aroused and Veshya found that he was aroused as well. He wanted to please this man and satisfy him with something other than his mouth.  
Veshya gave the man’s balls a final lick and stood to move for the bed. He took a step forward and swayed as his vision tilted, but recovered fast enough that it was barely noticeable. Veshya had stood up too fast in his impatience to continue and moved forward a bit more carefully onto the bed facing away from the man. Veshya pushed the fabric of his sari away to provide access which the man took. A moan slipped passed Veshya’s lips to his surprise as the man pushed inside, slow enough that although Veshya appreciated his care, after only a few seconds he thrust back on the man’s cock, biting his lip as he was filled completely. The man echoed Veshya’s pleasure with his own groan as he was enveloped and relished in the sensation before beginning a steady pace. Veshya lowered himself onto his elbows and the change positioned the man so each thrust pistoned his cock into a part of Veshya that sent waves of hot pleasure through him. As the man hit that spot over and over, Veshya felt an orgasm building.  
“Faster! Please- fuck- faster, go faster!”  
The man held onto Veshya’s hips tightly and pounded into him, filling the room with the sound of skin hitting skin alongside groaning and the bed creaking. Veshya gave a gasp which turned into a moan as the man grabbed his dick and it only took a couple of strokes before he came with a cry, shooting cum onto his stomach and sari. He kept his eyes closed for the seconds of ecstasy as the man slowed his thrusting and let go of Veshya’s dick.  
When his breathing slowed a bit, Veshya turned back to the man. The sight of his still-hard dripping cock practically made his mouth water and he guided the man to lie down on the bed before plunging down on his length. In his lust-filled state, Veshya rode the man, panting and moaning as he became hard again. The man’s own groans made Veshya go faster, hitting the spot a couple of times that made his vision blur as his mind became aware of nothing but bliss. The man came with a groan and Veshya practically shouted, arching his back as he had his second orgasm. His hips continued to roll as his shout turned into a moan. He kept himself anchored on the man’s cock even as his high faded.


	13. Chapter 13

When Veshya opened his eyes, his vision split and the room spun. He was unable to balance himself this time and fell forward, landing on the chest of the man who said something but Veshya couldn’t tell if it was in Hindi or not as his head began to throb. He groaned, putting his hands to his head, feeling as if his skull would shatter if he didn’t hold it together.  
When the pain lessened enough that he dared to open his eyes and take in his surroundings Veshya found himself positioned exactly as he had been. He mumbled an apology and slid off the man’s cock, trying to roll off the bed onto his feet but landed on his face. The man hurried off the bed to Veshya’s side and said something, which Veshya could now tell definitely wasn’t in Hindi, before helping the boy to his feet.  
Veshya swayed and then nausea overtook him, he pushed the man away and fell hard to his knees, chest heaving but there was no food in him to throw up. His entire body convulsed as it tried to empty his already shrunken stomach but only acid and saliva came out, burning his chest and throat. The urges decreased as time went by but he stayed on his hands and knees, chin to the floor as he didn’t know when the next wave of nausea would hit. He was in this crouched position for several minutes before he realized that his hair was out of his face.  
“Thanks.” He murmured and turned to the man but while the man was still in the room, watching with concern, he wasn’t holding Veshya’s hair.  
“What happened?” Nasrin asked, kneeling on the floor beside Veshya, his hair in one hand.  
“Dizzy” was all that Veshya managed to mumble.  
He heard her and the man exchange words in another language as Nasrin rubbed Veshya’s back and by the time the man left, Veshya felt much better.  
“Thanks Nasrin.” Veshya sat up slowly.  
Nasrin let him take his time getting to his shaky legs before guiding him to the sleeping quarters.  
“What did you take?” She asked as he lowered himself to the mat.  
Veshya closed his eyes and shook his head. “I didn’t take anything.”  
“I can’t help you if I don’t know what you took, so tell me the truth.”  
Too tired to argue, Veshya told her “Just the normal stuff.” But then he remembered taking a pill before getting ready for his customer. “Actually I might’ve taken more…”  
He could feel Nasrin move to his side and she seemed to be messing with his mat but Veshya said nothing about it.  
After a minute or so, Nasrin sighed, “No you didn’t.” She told Veshya who blinked his eyes half-open to look at her.  
“How do you know?” He asked, then noticed that his coin purse was in her hands.   
He grabbed at it but the sudden movement made it feel as if his mat was tipping over so he stilled himself.  
Nasrin tossed the purse lightly onto Veshya’s lap. “I’ve been keeping an eye on the amount you’ve been taking.” She admitted.  
“Like. Counting them? Why?” Veshya kept his eyes closed as his hands grasped for and found the purse.  
“It’s what someone did for me a long time ago. Nasrin paused and then began to stand. “I’ll be back.”  
Veshya listened to her steps as she left the room and tried to relax as he still felt too shaky and weak to get up. The thought of having another customer made his head ache. He definitely wasn’t well enough to do more than lie on his back and be taken. But if he didn’t have more customers tonight he wouldn’t make enough money to pay Qasim. That dreadful thought was enough to make Veshya try and sit up but he was stopped by Nasrin’s return.  
“Rest. I brought you something to eat.”  
Veshya hesitated but relented as Nasrin put a hand on his shoulder and urged him to lean against the side of her bunk. She gave him the bowl and spoon so he could eat. Getting the food in his mouth made him realize how hungry he had been but Nasrin stopped him from eating too fast, warning that his body would probably reject it if he didn’t slow down. He felt full when he had only eaten half the bowl and placed it on the ground. He felt much better already and wanted to go back downstairs but Nasrin made him stay. She wanted him to rest for at least an hour longer but once half that time had passed, Ishani had ordered Nasrin to bring him down anyways.  
Veshya got dizzy once or twice during the rest of the night but it was nothing in comparison to what he had experienced before. He had his last customer long before dawn and was able to fall asleep surprisingly fast. He had finally paid off Ishani for the incident with the men in the alley but now was being punished for losing the customer who had left when Veshya was being cared for by Nasrin. He knew he needed to start eating and finally decided to put enough money to the side to eat one or two meals a day. He was surprised when a week later, the amount of money he presented to Qasim was still enough to get what he needed and began to suspect the man of being dishonest but having never been taught to read or count, he had no way of proving it.  
He wanted to ask Nasrin if she knew how to count money but decided to wait. Ishani had told everyone an hour or so ago that Pita was coming back today. It had been just a little over a month since he last came here as opposed to his usual every two months and only Ishani seemed to know the reason for this earlier arrival. Veshya was just as un-concerned about this as the last time. He hadn’t quite gained back enough weight to make his skinniness unnoticeable but he hadn’t had any more major mess-ups and had a steady flow of customers.  
Once everyone had gathered downstairs it was only a few minutes before Pita arrived with his usual ensemble of armed men. Veshya wondered what he did that was important enough to require guards unless they were only there for any disobedient workers who were taken. Once the process began, he briefly tried looking for Nasrin so he could track her down once this was over and ask about Qasim but he didn’t have a good vantage point. His mind wandered to what his customers would be like tonight. It wasn’t the weekend yet so Kabir or Issac wouldn’t be here. Carter had left the country. Marcus, the man who Veshya had almost passed out on had been coming about twice a week but never stuck to any specific days. Veshya enjoyed his company though, once he had gotten over the discomfort of how different the man looked with his pale skin and how neither spoke the other’s language. The man wasn’t too rough or too boring and Veshya nearly always found pleasure with him.  
“And you as well.”  
Veshya didn’t quite hear those words but caught the next ones.  
“She’s been my suvidha for years now.” Veshya heard Ishani point out cautiously.  
Veshya looked around to see who they were talking about and his stomach dropped.  
“It’s time for a younger one then.” Pita told Ishani, motioning for the guards to take away the woman he had chosen.  
Veshya ran forward before he could stop himself. “No you can’t take her!” Every pair of eyes in the room jumped to him.  
“Not now sprat.” Nasrin warned him but Veshya moved to stand in front of her.  
“Please, you can’t. She needs to stay here. She needs to stay here with me!” Veshya’s eyes were filled with tears and his arms went out behind him to either side of Nasrin to protect her.  
Pita raised his eyebrows unsmiling. “And here I thought I wouldn’t be taking you from here anytime soon, Veshya.” He didn’t sound scolding or angry, if anything he was bored. “Whether you move or not, she’s coming with me. However I have room for one more and although I had different plans for you, those plans can change.”  
Veshya quivered but stood his ground as the man spoke. When he had finished, Veshya felt Nasrin’s arm on his shoulder. “You don’t have a choice.” She moved around Veshya, who was standing frozen, to walk to the door then paused and spoke to him quickly and quietly.  
“You need to stop paying Qasim, I know it will make it harder but you have to.” She grabbed his arm and looked at him intensely for a second or two before her face softened “Live for me, okay sprat?”  
Tears fell over Veshya’s face and he barely managed to nod. He watched Nasrin leave, her head held high and once she was gone, he stared at the entrance to the building, shock of the event filled him with numbness. But he could still feel pain.


	14. Chapter 14

Someone was speaking to him but he didn’t look at them until a slap crossed his face. He turned to Ishani with a teary glare but the woman didn’t let him speak. “He’s yours to train now.” She told him.  
Veshya stared at her uncomprehending for a few seconds before he finally noticed the boy beside her. He looked to be about Veshya’s age if not a bit younger but other than age and skinniness, there were few similarities in the two boys’ appearances. The other boy had pale skin, short light hair, and wore dirty blue pants with a green shirt. He also wore a wide smile which under the circumstances made Veshya take an immediate disliking to the boy.  
“Train for?...” Veshya asked Ishani with just enough disinterest that he could see her considering hitting him again.  
“Everything you do. To be a Veshya.” Her tone was mocking but she raised her hands to the sides as if exasperated by Veshya’s slowness. “You have a month.”  
She left Veshya with the boy who had watched their encounter with wide eyes and a slight smile. The boy turned to Veshya expectantly who moved for the stairs, waving at the other boy to follow. They climbed the stairs in silence, Veshya trying to comprehend that Nasrin was gone while the new boy took in his surroundings. At the top of the stairs, the boy turned around and looked at the space below.  
“Wow, this place is fancy” he breathed.  
Veshya looked at him and then to the dimly-lit floor. He remembered how when he first came here, he had also been amazed by the red drapes and pillars throughout the space where women in colorful fabrics and sparkling jewelry interacted with each other and the customers. Now the splendor was dimmed by the thought that he would never see Nasrin’s face among them.  
“Keep walking.” He told the boy and walked him to the sleeping quarters.  
Veshya avoided looking at Nasrin’s bunk and moved straight for the drawers of clothes. He looked through each shelf and at the bottom of one of them he found a tunic similar to the one he wore to sleep. He turned around to throw it but found the boy had wandered to one of the windows. Veshya strode over to the boy impatiently, about to scold him but one glance at Nasrin’s bed froze him in his place.  
A rush of sadness fell over him and the tunic left his hand and he dropped beside the bunk. He splayed his arms across the bed and pushed his face into the blankets, searching for some sort of comfort. He knew that if Nasrin was here she would have told him to shut up and stop crying long before offering any comfort but he still tried in vain to find relief from his pain.  
His hands clenched the fabric and he heard something crinkle. Veshya lifted his face from the bed and patted the blanket until he found a spot with something underneath. He pulled the blanket off the bed carefully, revealing something flat and fabric. He picked it up and turned it around, finding letters on it that he wouldn’t have understood due to his inability to read but he knew these letters as they were tattooed onto his skin.  
The pouch was thin and light but he could feel something inside and when he tilted the opening to look, he found two stacks of paper money. With shaking hands, Veshya pulled out the money and stared at it in amazement. He had never so much as seen this much money before, let alone held it and he wondered what could be done with it.  
It must have been enough for several years worth of food. Enough that Veshya could still buy from Qasim! Enough to… Enough to leave and find the place Nasrin had always talked about.  
That thought replaced all of Veshya’s excitement with overwhelming pain and he dropped the money as he began to sob.  
Nasrin never got to escape. She never got to go to Antwerp and be safe or happy. Veshya no longer had someone to guide or protect him, or even just someone to talk to. He just wanted her to come back.   
Maybe it was all just a nightmare, some reaction from drugs and hunger. This idea briefly made him hopeful but he hadn’t had any bad reactions since the first time, and the last time he was sick it had been from hunger.  
Veshya felt someone touch his shoulder and he reeled around, half expecting Nasrin to be standing there but only found the boy, watching him with concern.   
“Are you okay?”  
Veshya rubbed his tears away angrily and smacked the boy’s hand away. “Don’t fucking touch me!” He snapped and stumbled to his feet.  
The boy didn’t look scared or upset and Veshya glared at him, chest heaving, for several seconds before he remembered what he had been doing. He picked up the tunic dropped on the ground and shoved it into the boy’s hands.  
He took him to the courtyard and ordered the boy to bathe, annoyed when the boy told Veshya he didn’t know how to. Once he had been cleaned, Veshya put the new tunic on the boy and moved back inside, pointing over at his mat and telling the boy to sleep on the floor beside it.  
Veshya changed into his own tunic so he could clean the rooms comfortably and before he left, he instinctively pulled the coin purse from his mat and pulled out a pill. He stopped himself just before taking it, remembering Nasrin’s final wish. He slowly lowered his hand and put the purse away. It would be the first time in months he would have to have a customer without something to calm his mind and body. Just the idea was enough to fill him with dread and he almost decided to forgo his promise before he was distracted by the sight of the pouch sitting exactly where he had left it beside Nasrin’s bunk. He snatched it up and put it under his mat and forced himself to leave the room.  
Once his chores were over and the night was soon to come, Veshya’s dread had grown until he could barely speak. His first customer was new and he had no way to gauge how rough the man would be.  
Once in the room, Veshya was pushed onto the bed and he gulped, his stomach was queasy and his head hurt. Veshya didn’t hear whatever the man was saying as he began to push inside. He wasn’t slow or gentle but Veshya had prepared himself enough that the ache was bearable. The overall fear however was not bearable and Veshya brought pain upon himself for how tense his body was. As the man thrust in and out of him, Veshya let out several groans which the man took as signs of pleasure.  
The aching in Veshya’s body was strong enough that he reverted to how he had been when he first began here: unable to do anything to please his customer other than just lying there. He didn’t cry as he might’ve before, but he did little work, letting the man use him in the one position until he had finished. He could tell the man wasn’t quite satisfied as most people who had used Veshya before spoke very highly of the boy’s talents in pleasure but at that moment, Veshya was only concerned with doing enough to not anger anyone and risk being beaten.  
As the night went on, his fear had diminished, but not completely disappeared and at the end of the night his body was sore and he was too tired to do more than rinse himself off. As he climbed the stairs, all he could think about was how he was going to have to do this again and that thought exhausted him. He entered the sleeping quarters and changed without acknowledging any of the women, not that he normally did, before moving to his mat. Right before he made it, something on the ground hit his foot and Veshya almost tripped. The thing below him made a noise of surprise and Veshya remembered the boy.  
He wanted to scold the boy for tripping him as if it had been his fault but looking down at him curled up on the ground, Veshya was taken back to his first few days here. He had been excited, yes, but also scared and confused. And the same pain Veshya had endured was going to be this boy’s same fate.  
With a sigh, Veshya stepped over the boy and sat on the mat.  
“What’s your name?” It sounded impatient enough to be more of a statement but Veshya was too tired to be polite enough to apologize.  
“Flor.”  
The boy had a pleasant voice but a strange accent and Veshya hoped the boy spoke enough Hindi.  
“That’s a strange name.” He told Flor.  
“It means flower!” A smile crossed the boy’s face as he said it.  
Veshya tilted his head.  
“What is your name?” Flor asked, and Veshya could see the initial fear was already gone from his eyes.  
“It’s Veshya.”  
“Veshya.” The boy repeated slowly. “What does it mean?”  
Veshya laid down on the mat, trying not to aggravate his muscles. “Prostitute.” He told Flor, trying not to think about it.  
Flor thought for a few seconds. “I don’t know that word.”  
Veshya wasn’t surprised, it didn’t seem to be a word a young foreign boy would have in his vocabulary. “You seem to know a bit of Hindi at least.” He wasn’t particularly interested but thought it would be good to know what he was working with.  
Flor nodded. “I’ve learned it over the last few years.”  
“Where are you from?” Veshya asked, this time, slightly curious.  
The boy’s face fell, “I don’t remember what it is called. I lived there with mom and dad but when we came here, they.... Lost.”  
Veshya didn’t completely understand what the boy was saying but got the general idea.  
“So you haven’t had a place to live?”  
The boy shook his head solumley then his face brightened. “But now I have a place to live! Yagnesh told me I would get to have money and food and it wouldn’t flood!”  
Veshya remembered Yagnesh and his next words were bitter. “He’s the reason I have my name.”  
Flor’s smile faltered as he saw Veshya’s unhappy look. “Is it not a nice name?” He asked.  
Veshya gave him a wry smile, considering the boy’s innocence. “Not as nice as a flower.”  
It was silent for a few seconds and Veshya was tired enough he almost fell asleep but Flor spoke again.  
“I’ll find a new name for you. Just let me think about it.”  
Veshya said nothing but turned on his side to hide his slight smile and fell asleep in seconds.


End file.
